Please Come Home
by Ying-Fa-dono
Summary: Sarah is being pressured to grow up and forget about her time in the Labyrinth. Sadly, that proves hard when the Labyrinth is turned into a stage play, and Sarah's the star. Also, something wicked is going on in the Underground. What is wrong with Jareth?
1. Toby's Artwork

A lot can happen in three years

**Ying-Fa: Hello, hello, hello. My name is Ying-Fa and I would like you to know that this is my first ever Labyrinth fanfic. It was actually only recently that I came across the movie and I LOVED IT FROM THE GET GO!**

**Nagini-chan: Oh, yes. She's very much in love.**

**Ying-Fa: Who wouldn't be? David Bowie is quite good looking in that movie, don't you find? Well, anyway, please review and tell me what you think. Or else I might just have to curse you. Oh, yes. I have ways.**

A lot can happen in three years. A lot of things can change you. A lot of things did change for Sarah Williams. Three years ago, as she was babysitting for her infant brother, Toby, she'd made a choice that would change her forever. Angered by Toby's endless tears, she'd made a terrible wish. She wished that the antagonistic character of her favorite novel would take her brother away. To her utter horror, her wish was granted. The Goblin King came and took Toby to his castle at the center of a vast labyrinth.

Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, Sarah had fought her way to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child he had stolen. Whilst there, she'd befriended a dwarf, a monster, and a fox-knight who helped her battle her way back to her brother. At last, she reached the castle where her brother was. But the Goblin King was there as well. However, as Sarah faced him, she felt little fear, for her will was as strong as his, and her kingdom was as great. The Goblin King knew this. Nevertheless, he tried to bargain with Sarah. He tried to tell her something important. Sarah had not listened. Bound to her duty to free her brother, she uttered six words of great power.

"You have no power over me."

The Goblin King had been thwarted. Sarah and Toby had returned home, safe and sound. Sarah believed she would never again have to see the king, his labyrinth, or even his every world, the Underground, again. She buried away any of her possessions that reminded her of the event and hid them away. She swore she would never again say the words "I wish", not even on her birthday, for those were the words that had summoned the Goblin King to her in the first place. She tried to focus on growing up, becoming an adult. She worked hard in school, and took extra special care of her brother as he grew from baby to toddler.

Sarah was eighteen years old now and in her senior year of high school. She'd been focusing on becoming an artist, for it was something she found she could be very good at. She took some acrylic classes and entered some of her work into competitions that were very promising and had earned her some very nice prizes such as money, privileges at school and even got some of her work displayed in local art shows.

On this particular day, the final bell rang and Sarah sighed in relief. _Things always go so much more slowly on Mondays,_ she thought with a sigh. She put her backpack on and headed up to her acrylic teacher, Mrs. L'Oreal.

"Hey, Mrs. L," Sarah said as she reached her. "Did you want to see me?"

"Oh, yes," said Mrs. L'Oreal. "I thought you might like to see an upcoming art event. If you win this sucker, you can easily get into the best art school there is."

"Oh, wow," said Sarah, genuinely excited. "What is it?"

"It is the Garrison Award," said Mrs. L'Oreal. "It is a competition that is completely made up for artists with a creative mind. The prize is a scholarship _in Paris._ You'll be competing with students from all over the United States. There is only room for ten winners, so you'd better give them your best work."

"You know I will," said Sarah, taking a pamphlet that the teacher offered to her.

"Well, just think carefully on this Sarah," said Mrs. L'Oreal, seriously. "They're looking for creative work. I mean imaginative and unique. Art that tells a story and things like that is what you'd need to win. Now, don't get me wrong, your landscapes and still-life's are beautiful, but you'll need a bit more imagination if you're going to win something as great as the Garrison award."

"I think I can handle it," said Sarah, pleasantly. "Thank you for telling me about this."

Sarah left the school and started to walk home. _I'm probably the only senior in my class who doesn't have a car,_ she thought with some bitterness as she watched a bunch of kids her age zoom by on a shiny new truck. Her father and stepmother (well actually just her stepmother) had told her she didn't need a car when the school was so close to home. They said if she kept her grades up, then she would be able to have a car when she graduated and got a job. Sarah flipped open the pamphlet explaining about the Garrison Award. To win a scholarship to Paris would be wonderful. She'd always wanted to see more of the world. But she had to agree with Mrs. L'Oreal. Her pictures were, indeed, strictly based upon reality.

_Huh, I need more imagination,_ Sarah though, half-smiling to herself. _That's the first time anyone has told me that._

Just as she was getting close to home, she thought she heard someone walking behind her. A chill ran down her spine. An image popped into her head of a tall figure, handsome and strange, magical and mischievous, furious and bent on some kind of dark revenge. Sarah sped up, trying to ignore how terribly loud those footfalls behind her were and how they were quickening in pace. She wanted to run, but told herself to remain calm. She had to remain calm. In her head she began a frantic chant.

_You have no power over me. You have no power over me. You have no power over me. You have no power over me._

The steps behind her grew faster and faster as Sarah picked up her pace.

_You have no power over me! You have no power over me! You have no power over me!_

Without realizing it, she broke into a frantic run, her house crawling closer and closer into view. But her pursuer sped up as well.

_YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!_ Sarah screamed in her mind. _YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME! YOU HAVE NO POWER . . .!_

A hand grasped her shoulder as someone cried, "Sarah, wait . . ."

"AAH!" Sarah screamed, smacking the hand off her shoulder. She spun around, thinking to meet a pair of strange, mismatched eyes. But they weren't there. Instead she came face to face with a boy her age with dark, greasy hair and thick glasses. He was unhealthily skinny and was dressed in a button up shirt, sweater vest, and tightly belted khaki pants. Sarah immediately felt very stupid and very annoyed.

"Oh, hello Dirk," she said, unenthusiastically. Dirk Bloomings was in her class at school and the official class oddball. He was the type to spend hours and hours playing role-playing games on his computer and conspire secretly to invade Area 51. He and his gang of freaky friends were known to call each other by names like Gorlok and Thaxor and Galaxion and other weird names. It wasn't exactly uncommon knowledge that Dirk was particularly interested in Sarah, but she wasn't irrevocably uninterested. Sarah may have been a little odd herself, but Dirk, even for her, was just _too odd_.

"Sarah, why'd you run away like that?" Dirk asked, in his high pitched, rather Igor-ish voice. "I called you, but you didn't answer."

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," said Sarah, trying to breath normally and slow her racing heart. "Listen, I'm really sorry, but I really need to get home. I'll see you in school."

"Really?" Dirk said, looking eager. "That'd be great. I'll see you later, Lovely One," and he turned and walked away.

It was all Sarah could do to keep herself from pretending to wretch behind his back. Why did Dirk have to be such a complete nerd? Worse still, why did he have to have a crush on _her_ of all people? Surely there was some girl in school as nerdy as him that he would have much more in common with. Sarah headed for her house and walked into the front door.

From the sound of childish humming coming from the kitchen, Sarah knew that Toby must be coloring in there. Sarah was rather proud that her little brother had taken up drawing. True, they were scribbles drawn with crayon on scratch paper that their father brought home from work for him, but it pleased her none the less. Perhaps Toby would aspire to be an artist, just like she did. She dropped her backpack onto the floor and walked in the kitchen where Toby was. As she had predicted, he was scribbling away at the kitchen table, his little brow furrowed with concentration and his tongue sticking out. Sarah bent down and gave him a kiss on the top of the head.

"Hi, Toby," she said brightly.

"Hi, Sawah," said Toby, looking up at his older sister. "Sawah, I'm happy you're home, Sawah."

"I'm happy to be here," she said, smiling down at him. "Hey, what is that you're drawing there?"

Toby picked up his picture and held it out proudly for Sarah to see. She took it out of his pudgy hands and examined it closely. Her stomach seemed to freeze. She could make out Toby in the picture. He was standing in the middle of it, in the red and white stripped pajamas he used to wear when he was a baby. But surrounding him there were strange things he'd drawn in black and gray. Hairy bodies, contorted faces, wicked grins and flailing arms and legs were all around him. But it was not these creatures that frightened her the most. Standing next to the little drawn Toby was a figure of a man. Toby had drawn him all in black with slanted eyes, wild hair that Toby had captured poorly with scribbles of yellow. His arms were outstretched and his mouth was open as if her were singing.

Toby had drawn himself among the goblins and their majestic king.


	2. The Book Came Back

**Disclaimer: Ying-Fa doesn't own Labyrinth. Jim Henson does. Lucky shmuck. (mumble grumble)**

Sarah stared at Toby's pictures, flipping through them. The Goblin King was in almost all of them. Sometimes singing, dancing, kicking at goblins, or else sitting in his throne with Toby on his lap. Sarah looked down at her little brother, who was looking up at her eagerly, hoping to get her opinion.

"Wow, Toby," said Sarah, slowly. "These are . . . really good."

Toby beamed. "I been working wheelly hard."

"It shows," said Sarah. "Um, Toby, what are these things with you in these pictures? They don't look very friendly."

Toby put his finger on his chin, thoughtfully. "I don't know," he said simply.

"You don't know?"

"Nope."

"I see," said Sarah. "Um, Toby, who is this man with you?" she held up a picture of the Goblin King sitting on his throne with Toby. Toby scratched his little head, frowning as he tried to think.

"Man," he answered with a shrug.

"Man?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, just man."

"Um, where have you seen this man, Toby?"

Toby smiled, happy that Sarah had asked him a question he could answer right away. He pointed a chubby finger at his temple. "Here," he replied with a grin.

"In your head," said Sarah, feeling alarmed.

"Yup," said Toby, proudly.

"You . . . imagined him?"

"Nope," said Toby. "At night when I'm sleeping. That's when I see Man."

"I see," Sarah said nervously. "Listen, Toby . . ."

At that moment, the front door opened and Sarah's stepmother, Irene, came into the room.

"Sarah? Are you home?"

"Yes, I'm home," said Sarah, turning to greet her stepmother. "Where did you go?"

"Oh, I was in the backyard talking to Mrs. Brown," said Irene, referring to their neighbor who had thrown out her back the other day. "She's doing much better. Taking it easy, y'know. I tried to tell her that she shouldn't be outside, but you know she is just religious about taking care of that garden of her's. How was school?"

"Pretty good," said Sarah. "My art teacher told me about . . ."

"Toby!" Irene cried, walking over to her son. "Are you drawing those weird things again? Come now, I've told you that you should be doing more constructive things than drawing some strange imaginary creatures."

"But, Mommy, I like it," Toby whined in protest. Irene picked up one of the pictures and sighed.

"Why are you sitting on this man's lap, Toby?" she asked, sternly.

"Man's nice," Toby replied, simply.

"Now, Toby, we've talked about Man, haven't we?" Irene asked sharply. Sarah's attention peaked. "I know you may like the idea of an imaginary friend, but it's not something that is good for you."

"Man is not a 'ma-gin-air-we!" Toby protested. "He's wheel! He's wheel!"

"Real, Toby," Irene said, annunciating. "Real. Remember what Mrs. Marshall told us about using our Rs."

Sarah sighed and left them too it. She would have to tell Irene about the Garrison Award when her Dad came home for dinner that evening. If there is one thing that really hadn't changed much over the years was Sarah's relationship with her stepmother. True, she and Irene didn't jump down each other's throats over every little thing anymore, but there was very little understanding between them. Irene hadn't thought much of Sarah's desire to be an artist. She thought there were other, more manageable careers that were better suited for Sarah.

"You could be a great accountant," Irene had told her. "There is nothing wrong with that. My mother was an accountant and she's set for life. Or maybe a reporter. I bet you'd like that."

Sarah had all but ignored Irene's advice. Art was something she was good at and it made for an enjoyable career and that was what Sarah was looking forward to being. Also, if she could win this Garrison Award, she'd be set for life without being an accountant. It was things like that that made Sarah so unable to relate to her stepmother.

"You get that from your mom," Sarah's father, Robert, had said. "Yup, Linda was really a right-brained person. But people like me and Irene are more left-brained. So, it's difficult for you to agree on the same things. It's because you think in very different ways."

_That is such a Dad-Answer,_ Sarah thought dully on the way up to her room. _It always has to do with psychology. That's why he and Mom go divorced in the first place. The psychology was wrong._

Sarah went into her room and collapsed onto her bed. It was a bit emptier than it had been three years ago. As she had gotten older, and had been increasingly pressured to grow up, she had been pressured to give a great deal of her toys away. Some had gone to Toby, while others were taken to the attic. Also, various things, such as her music box, her Escher picture, her wooden maze, a porcelain sculpture featuring a man with spiky hair and glam-rock like clothes, and a particular small red book, had all been removed from her room after her adventure in the labyrinth. It wasn't that she wanted to forget, but it was that she needed to forget.

_Wendy had to give up Neverland,_ Sarah thought to herself, sadly. _And Alice had to give up Wonderland. I guess I had to give up the labyrinth._

Sarah went over to her desk. It was a strong, cherry desk that her father had found in good condition at an antique store. It had been placed in Sarah's room when she'd given up her vanity as well. She couldn't bear having the vanity in her room for long after she'd decided to let the labyrinth go. The temptation to call her old friends to her side had been so great. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus were what she knew she would miss the most. So, to make it hurt less, she'd given up the vanity so she wouldn't find herself wishing to see them reflected back at her in the mirror.

Sarah searched through the drawers in her desk, looking for a piece of paper and her drawing pencils. She wanted to get to work on what she wanted to paint for her picture to send in for the Garrison Award. Sarah found what she was looking for, but immediately pause.

There, sitting matter-of-factly next to her charcoal pencils and her paper, was a small red book. It was worn, as if it had been opened and read over many times. The words _The Labyrinth_ were printed on the cover in peeling gold letters.

Sarah stared at _The Labyrinth._ Where had it come from? She certainly hadn't put it in her desk, but then who had? This book had been put up in the attic. Why was it here now? Sarah picked up the little book. It felt so familiar in her hand. She felt a smile cross her face. She'd missed this book, despite the problems it had caused. For the heck of it, she flipped it open and read:

_But what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl and he had given her certain powers. So one night, when she was tired from a day of housework and hurt by the harsh words of her stepmother, and she could no longer stand it . . ._

Sarah suddenly snapped the book shut. _Don't you do this,_ she told herself sternly. _You've been doing so well for three years. Don't you let yourself have a relapse now._ Sarah opened up her largest, deepest drawer and buried the book under a stack of discarded drawings.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"So, Sarah," Robert said, in between mouthfuls of Irene's mashed potatoes. "How was school?"

"Pretty good," said Sarah, cutting up her chicken. "My art teacher told me about the Garrison award."

The Williams family was enjoying a dinner of roasted chicken that evening. Their dog, Merlin, was snoozing on the floor next to Toby's chair. Sarah smiled as she watched Toby "eating." Toby was a particularly picky eater and was now feeding bits of chicken to Merlin when his mother wasn't looking and pushing his potatoes around to make it look like there was less than there really was. Sarah explained to her father about the Garrison award and gave him the pamphlet that Mrs. L'Oreal had given her.

"My, my," said Robert, after he'd read the pamphlet through. "This could be really good for you, Sarah. A scholarship to France. That is really something."

"I don't know if I like the idea of you going so far away for school," said Irene, hesitantly. "There is a lot that we can do for you here in the United States, but _Europe_?"

"Oh, come on Irene," said Sarah, insistently. "I can look after myself. I'm legally an adult now, you know."

"Of course I know that," said Irene, calmly. "But even adults can have things happen to them. And in a foreign country, no less!"

"Now, ladies," said Robert, pleasantly. "Let's not get into an argument. Sarah hasn't even entered the contest yet."

"Chicken, chicken, chicken lickin'," grumbled Toby, jabbing at his meat with his fork. "I hate chicken, chicken, chicken . . ."

"By the way," Sarah said, looking up at her family. "Did anyone take one of my old books from the attic and put it in my desk?"

Robert and Irene stared at her. "Why, no," said Irene. "Why?"

"Oh, I just found one of my old books in my desk and I wondered how it got in there," said Sarah, reasonably. "I was sure I'd put it upstairs in the attic with all the rest of my old stuff."

"Hm, well that's odd," said Robert, thoughtfully. "Maybe it's always been in there, but you meant to put it upstairs and forgot by accident."

Sarah thought about this theory. Maybe she _had_ put it in her desk for safekeeping until it was time to pack it up with the rest of her things, forgotten about it, and didn't put it up in the attic after all? Well, it was certainly possible. But why hadn't she seen it in that drawer before? Sarah gave herself a little shake and tried to put it from her mind. She didn't want to think of that book anymore. Thinking about it wasn't good for her. It made her think too hard on the story within it. She couldn't afford to think about it. But . . . never the less . . . the way it had reappeared like that . . . and Toby's drawings . . .

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_The window of Robert and Irene's bedroom opened wide. A beautiful white barn owl flew into the room. Sarah was afraid and ducked. Without seeing it, she felt something around her change. There was suddenly another presence in the room with her. She opened her eyes._

_There he was. Standing proud and regal before her. That spiky blonde hair, that enigmatic smirk, those strange eyes, mismatched and almond-shaped, all of it was the same as she remembered._

_"I've brought you a gift."_

_In his hand was a small, transparent sphere._

_"What is it?" Sarah asked._

_"It's a crystal," he explained, rolling it over and over his hands. "Nothing more. But if you turn it this way, and look into it, it will show you your dreams."_

_She looked from those intense eyes to the lovely crystal, now sitting still in his hand._

_"Do you want it?"_

Sarah was brought back to reality by something long, hot, and wet being dragged over her face. With a cry of disgust, she opened her eyes. Merlin had somehow found his way into her room, jumped onto her bed, and licked her face in welcome.

"Oh, Merlin, yuck," Sarah whined sleepily. Daylight was steaming into her room from between the curtains of her window. Sarah shoved her dog off of her. She could still hear the Goblin King's voice ringing in her ears. She'd been dreaming about him. About the first time she'd seen him. Sarah frowned. She shouldn't have dreamed about him. She wasn't supposed to dream about him. She was supposed to be focusing all her power on forgetting him and his labyrinth.

"What time is it, Merlin?" Sarah asked her dog, still sleepily. She looked at her clock and gasped. "Seven o' five! Why didn't you wake me up sooner! Oh no, I'm gonna be late for school!"

Sarah jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom. On her way she passed Irene, who looked as if she had been just about to wake Sarah up.

"Sarah, you're going to be . . ."

"I know! I know!" Sarah yelled, slamming the bathroom door behind her. She set the world record for taking a shower and ran back into her room, threw on whatever clothes that occurred to her, tossed several sketches she'd drawn as ideas for her new painting into her bag and hurried out the door without eating anything.

Sarah sprinted all the way to school. She was furious that Irene hadn't woken her up when she hadn't gotten up herself. What had happened? She never slept through her alarm clock. Why hadn't it gone off today? Several times, as she ran to the school, she had to catch herself in the middle of saying her old catch phrase of "It's not fair!" but today she felt that it complied.

As Sarah hurried into the school, she ran into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, as the boy stumbled and almost fell. Sarah recognized him. His name was Rodger Beckham, the president of the drama club and director for the annual school play.

"That's okay," he said, straightening up. "Hey, Sarah, are you in a hurry?"

"Kinda," she said, picking up her bag, which had fallen when she ran into Rodger. "I slept in today."

"Ha, me too," he confessed. "Hey, what's this?"

Sarah started. It was _The Labyrinth. _Rodger was holding the little red book in his hand. He must have pulled it from the debris of Sarah's bag when she'd fallen. But Sarah hadn't remembered packing it.

"J-Just a book," said Sarah, reaching out for him to give it back.

"Really?" said Rodger. "Hey, Sarah, do you mind if I borrow this?"

"What?"

"Can I borrow this? It's just that I have Language Arts in a few minutes and I have to have reading material. If I show up without something to read, Mr. Zimmerman will put me in detention."

"Oh, um . . ."

The five minute bell rang.

"Oh, jeez," said Rodger. "I've gotta go. I'll give you your book back at the end of the day, I promise. See you later, Sarah."

And before Sarah could protest, he was gone.

**Ying-Fa: Ying-fa loves reviews, Ying-fa loves reviews! Thank you so much everybody! I know that most people refer to Sarah's stepmother as Karen in their fics, but I looked on Wikipedia and it says that she has been officially named Irene, so I went with that instead. Questions? Comments? Complaints? Peanuts? Anyone?**


	3. Drama, Drama, Drama

**Ying-Fa: Reviewers are the bestest! Please keep reading my story! Ying-Fa loves you all so much! (Gives you all puppy eyes). Ying-Fa still owns nothing but these chocolate chip cookies.**

**Nagini-chan: Too late. I ate them.**

**(Sounds of Ying-Fa tears)**

Sarah rubbed her finger along the paper, smearing the black charcoal so that it spread gray over the paper, forming a shadow. She stared at her picture, pleased with her work. It was art class, her last of the day, and the students had been given the assignment of drawing a beach ball that was sitting on a podium in the middle of the classroom using charcoal pencils. Sarah's picture looked like a black and white photograph of the ball and Mrs. L'Oreal had been quick to compliment her work.

"Alright class," Mrs. L'Oreal called among the working students. "There's five minutes until the bell, so pack up, wash up and _clean up after yourselves_! Or the custodian will be after my blood."

There was a flurry of movement. Sarah slipped the drawing into her portfolio that she'd been making in the class. She was surprised she'd done so well on her picture. She certainly hadn't done so well in her other classes that day, seeing as her mind was somewhere else entirely.

_Where is Rodger? _She kept thinking, frantically. She'd looked all over for him at lunchtime, between classes, during breaks, but she couldn't find him. _I have to get _The Labyrinth _back from him. I have to get rid of it for good this time. But what will I do? Bury it? Set it on fire and send it adrift on a tiny boat and watch it float away? Real poetic, Sarah. Oh, I just have to get over that story. I have to put the labyrinth behind me. I have to put . . . my friends . . . behind me. I . . . have to . . . put . . . him . . ._

_WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT AM I THNKING!? _Sarah screamed mentally. _Of course HE'S behind me. He's been behind me ever since I said the words. What is the problem with me? I don't even like him! He's the bad guy! Urg. I'm so glad it is the weekend. I need time away from school, the Garrison Award, and my artwork to get this weirdness out of my head. I'll find out what's going on and put an end to it. That's final._

The sound of the final bell jerked Sarah out of her thoughts. She was glad for it. She put her portfolio away and washed her hands in the filthy, paint covered sink in the corner of the art room. Students began filing out of the school, some kids coming in through the hall to take the short cut through the art room to the senior parking lot. Sarah was just reaching for her bag when a voice called to her.

"Why, greetings yet again, fair maiden."

Sarah's heart sank. It wasn't who you'd think it was. She turned around, doing everything in her power not to turn up her nose at Dirk Bloomings, who had come into the art room to take the short cut, (and presumably run into Sarah). Sarah wanted to cringe. Only one person was allowed to call her "fair maiden" and that was Sir Didymus, and Dirk was certainly not allowed to say it as well.

"Hey there, Dirk," Sarah said in false sweetness. "How are you?"

"Right as rain," said Dirk. "Whilst you shine like the sun."

Sarah had to work very hard not to cringe. "T-thanks Dirk."

"Miss Williams, I wondered if you would be so gracious as to accompany me and my men to receive refreshment at the house of rich, caffeinated, cocoa bean nectar."

"Um, _what?_" Sarah said, looking utterly confused.

Dirk seemed to lose his steam. "Um, uh," he said, obviously wondering where he had gone wrong. "Um, did you wanna get a cup of coffee with me and my friends?"

"Oh," said Sarah. "Um."

"There is this really radical place," he pressed, eagerly. "My friends and I go there to play Monsters and Mazes. You can play, too. It is really fun."

"That . . . well . . . that sounds . . . um . . ."

"Sarah!"

Sarah turned around and was utterly relieved (for more than one reason) to see Rodger heading towards her. _The Labyrinth_ was, gratefully, clutched in his hand.

"Hi, Rodger," Sarah cried, blissfully. "Listen, Dirk, I gotta . . . um . . . talk to Rodger. See you later," and she turned her back on him and ran over to Rodger. Dirk slumped out of the room, looking disappointed.

"Thanks," said Sarah, relieved. "You really saved me."

"Thank _ME?_" said Rodger. "Thank YOU, Sarah! You've saved _me!_" And without the slightest hint of warning, Rodger threw his arms around Sarah and hugged her as if she was his long, lost lover.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!"

"W-w-w-w-w-w-WHOA!" Sarah cried, in horror, shoving Rodger off her. "What the . . . what in the . . . what are you _doing!?_"

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Rodger, whipping his eyes from behind his horn-rimmed glasses. "I'm just so overcome with emotion. Sarah Williams, you have just single-handedly saved me from losing presidency of the drama club!"

"I . . . I did?" Sarah said confused.

"Oh, yes," said Rodger. "Oh yes, you did." He held up _The Labyrinth _to her. Sarah felt her heart freeze. Oh no, surely not . . .

"Yes, indeed," said Rodger. "This year's spring play will be none other than _this! The Labyrinth!_"

"You CAN'T!" Sarah cried.

Rodger stared at her, his face fallen. "Why not?"

Sarah paused, confused. Now what? "W-well . . . I mean . . . it's just a book. There isn't an adaptation for the stage. Wouldn't that be . . .?"

"HA!" said Rodger, so loudly that a few stragglers outside stared. "As if that will stop me. I'll just write the script myself."

"Wait a minute!" Sarah cried, now very worried. "Why do you want to do a play based off my book?"

Rodger's grin faded. "Well, it is something that I've been struggling with for quite awhile. You see, as president of the drama club, it is my duty to select what we will be doing for the spring play. I wanted to do something great for senior year. End high school life with a bang, y'know. But I couldn't find anything that fits my vision. All the old scripts are old news. Every year it is the same old stuff. We do Rodger & Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, classic Broadway stuff, and all that every year. So, my dilemma is what am I supposed to do? We did _The King and I_ last year and _Fiddler on the Roof _the year before that. The dratted school board has refused point blank to let me do _Sweeny Todd_ or _Phantom of the Opera_ (they are really antsy about the entire Don Juan scene but the play isn't right without it so we can't agree on anything) and if I have to put up with a Disney based play _**one more time . . .!!**_"

"Rodger, chill," said Sarah. His face had been getting steadily redder as he had talked. He took a few calming breaths.

" . . . . Sorry about that," said Rodger, starting up as if there had been no interruption. "As I was saying, I was in the dilemma of a lifetime. I didn't know what to pick and if I didn't make a decision soon, they'd have Ben Lennox pick. He's the treasurer of the drama club and a junior. He's been trying to overthrow me for years," Rodger's eyes darkened. "But not this time, my nemesis, not this time! So then you, Sarah, appear at the most perfect of timing and you bless me with this book and, thus, the spring play, saving my position."

"I don't know, Rodger," said Sarah, uneasily. "I mean, that book is . . . well . . ."

"But it is perfect," said Rodger, insistently. "A lovely young heroine, a regal and malevolent villain, fearsome monsters mixed with kind creatures, trick and traps, passion and drama, good prevailing over evil. This is the plot of the century!"

_Sure it sounds good when he puts it like that,_ said Sarah, uneasily. _But he hasn't actually been there._

"I'll need to keep this book for a little while longer," said Rodger. "So that I can make up the script. I'll give it back to you on Monday. Is that okay?"

Sarah felt uneasy. She really wanted that book back. She doubted if she would be able to sleep a wink at night knowing it was out in the world and not secure in her attic. Not to mention the fact that Rodger's idea was positively lethal without meaning it to be. This couldn't happen. She couldn't let it happen. But there was little she could do about it. Sarah knew Rodger by reputation. He was stubborn and hotheaded. If he said he was going to turn _The Labyrinth_ into a play, he was going to do it even if he had to pry the book away from her cold, dead hands.

"Fine," she said against her will. "You can keep it. But, you have to give it back the second the script is finished."

"Why?" said Rodger, looking surprised. "Is it a library book?"

"Yeah," Sarah lied. "I need to turn it back in soon."

"Don't worry," said Rodger. "I'll have it back to you next week. I'll make it up to you if you have to pay for any late fees." And with that being the final word, Rodger left the school, leaving Sarah feeling sick to her stomach again.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_The crystal rolled passed Sarah's feet. She heard Hoggle mumble something in fear. They followed its progress as it leapt up and landed into a brass cup, held by what appeared to be some kind of beggar goblin._

_"Ah," it said. "What have we here?"_

_"Uh, nothin'," said Hoggle, dismissively._

_"Nothing?" said the beggar. "Nothing?" it repeated, this time in a deep, mighty voice. It reached up and pulled off its cloak and blindfold. "Nothing?" The Goblin King stood before them, shaking his disguise in Hoggle's face. "Nothing, tra la la?"_

_"Your Majesty," said Hoggle, smoothly. "What a nice surprise."_

_"Hello, Hedgewart," said the Goblin King._

_"Hogwart," corrected Sarah._

_"_Hoggle,_" Hoggle corrected both of them._

_Sarah watched as the Goblin King and Hoggle argued. She was afraid to see the how quickly the Goblin King had appeared when, at last, someone had come to help her. It was as if he could be anywhere._

_"Higgle . . ."_

_"Hoggle."_

_"Yes," said the Goblin King, dully. "If I thought for one second that you'd betray me, I'd be forced to suspend you, head first, into the Bog of Eternal Stench."_

_"NO," Hoggle cried, falling to his knees. "Your Majesty, not the Eternal Stench!"_

_"Oh _yes,_ Hoggle," snapped the king, kicking at the groveling dwarf. "And you, Sarah . . ."_

_The King walked over to her, coming almost too close. Those fierce eyes and that slick smile looking right at her. "How are you enjoying my labyrinth?"_

_Sarah hesitated to answer. She was frightened of him, but then again, he had just threatened her only friend. "It's a piece of cake," she retorted, looking right back at him._

_His smile did not waver, but his eyes grew cold. Sarah knew she was in trouble. She had dared to insult his beloved labyrinth. Now she was to pay for it._

_"Really?" he said, looking far more wicked than ever before. "Then how about upping the stakes, hm?"_

Sarah woke up slowly. The scene in the underground tunnels of the labyrinth of herself, the Goblin King, and Hoggle faded slowly to black, the King's voice bouncing around in her brain. She wondered what was going on, when she realized that the darkness she was seeing was the inside of her eyelids. She pried her eyes open, which was difficult due to a large amount of sleep sealing her eyes shut.

She looked around her room and groaned. As she had predicted, she'd been sleeping restlessly since Friday, knowing that _The Labyrinth_ was in Rodger's possession, probably becoming a stage play as Sarah lay there thinking about it. Sarah sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked at her alarm clock. Four in the morning. There was still plenty of time before she had to get up.

Sarah groaned. What was it that bothered her so much about Rodger making a play based on her book? Well, she could answer that one immediately. She was most likely the only person who knew that it was real. The labyrinth, the Underground, the Goblin City and their Goblin King, it was all real. There was no point denying it. Though she had tried to forget about her adventure there, she never denied it had happened. She couldn't deny it. How could she be so cruel to herself as to make herself forget about one of the best experiences of her life? The labyrinth was real. It was very real to her. It would always be real.

_But it is because it's real that it's a problem,_ Sarah thought, flopping back down on her pillows. _If that story is turned into a play, I'm sure that he'll figure it out. He'll learn about it and he'll take advantage of it. He'll make someone do something without meaning to. What if whoever plays the girl _(Sarah tried not to think "me") _in the story accidentally wishes someone away for real? I was able to beat the labyrinth, but what if they can't? What if he finds me again? What will he do? What would he do for revenge?_

_And if I'm going to keep having dreams about the labyrinth,_ Sarah thought savagely. _Why do I have to keep dreaming about him? Why can't I dream more about Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus? If I were to ever go back to the labyrinth, it would be to see them again, not _him _again._

Suddenly, Sarah heard her doorknob rattle. She froze. _Oh no,_ she though frantically. _I knew it. I'd been thinking about him too much. I've summoned him here by accident!_

Slowly, very slowly, the doorknob started to turn. Sarah began to chant in her mind again.

_You have no power over me. You have no power over me._

The knob turned and turned until she heard it click. Sarah pulled her covers over her head. Fear flooded her. He'd come. He'd come for her at last. He hadn't even waited for the play to be written yet. She heard her door creak eerily as it opened, ever more slowly.

_You have no power over me! You have no power over me! You have no power over me! You have no power over me! YOU HAVE NO POWER . . ._

"Sawah?"

Sarah sighed with relief. It was only Toby. She pulled the covers off her head and looked down at her brother. He was frowning and clutching a piece of paper in his hands.

"Sawah, I hadda bad dweam," he mumbled.

"Oh, you did?" Sarah said, beckoning him to her. He walked over and hopped onto her bed. She put her arms around him, soothing him.

"What did you dream about Toby?" Sarah asked. A tiny part of her feared that he would tell her about seeing the Goblin King.

"Spiders," whimpered Toby. "Lots and lots of them."

"Oh," said Sarah, again relieved. "That's okay, Toby. Spiders are more scared of you than you are of them."

"Nuh uh," said Toby, frowning. "They wheelly scawy."

"I know, I know," said Sarah, stroking his reddish brown hair. "What's that you've got there, Toby?"

"Man," he said, showing her.

Sarah took the drawing from Toby. She held it up to the window so that the moonlight could light it up for her. Sarah started when she saw what Toby had drawn. There was Toby, standing in the middle, looking happy. Next to him was a tall figure with long, black hair. It was her. Toby had drawn Sarah with him in this picture. But to the left of Toby's self-portrait, was another drawing of the Goblin King.

But this was different. He did not appear to be singing or dancing in this picture. He was standing still and apparently looking right at Sarah. To Sarah's astonishment, she saw that Toby had drawn big, blue drops falling from out of the eyes of the Goblin King and his mouth was curved downward into a sad frown.

"I don't get it, Toby," said Sarah, looking at her brother. "Man doesn't look very happy in this picture. Why is he so sad?"

Toby shrugged. "Man is always sad when Sawah is whiff me."

**Ying-Fa: There you go. Another one bites the dust! Hey, do you guys understand Toby's baby-talk okay? I work with a 4 (and a half) year old and I based Toby's talk off the way they talk. He's three nearing four in this story, but if it is hard for you, he can miraculously learn to talk clearly in the next chapter. What is up in the next chapter? CASTING! Please leave reviews. They're my favowites!**

**Nagini-chan: Great. Ying-Fa's gonna be talking like this for awhile now.**


	4. Say Your Right Words Right

**Ying-Fa: Ah. (Sniff) So many of you reviewed. (Sniffle) I'm . . . so . . . HAPPY! Please keep being Ying-Fa's friend and stick with those wonderful reviews. Ying-Fa gives out hugs and kisses to you all!**

"Sarah? You know, if you didn't want oatmeal, you could have said," Irene's voice brought Sarah back to reality with a jolt. It was Monday morning and Sarah had been playing with her breakfast for the past five minutes without eating a bite.

"Oh, no, that's not it," said Sarah. "Sorry, Irene. I'm just somewhere else entirely today."

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Robert asked, looking over the top of his newspaper at his daughter.

"Um . . . the Garrison Award," lied Sarah. "I still have no idea what I'm going to do for it."

"Oh, I'm sure it will come to you," said Robert, kindly. "You've only known about it for about a week. When do you have to turn it in?"

"Mid-July," replied Sarah.

"See? It's still only April. You have plenty of time," said Robert, taking a sip of coffee. "You just need to find some inspiration, and then you'll be fine."

"Daddy, what's in-peer-a-shone?" Toby asked innocently, some oatmeal stuck to his chin and cheeks.

Sarah went back to her full bowl of oatmeal. Irene had even been kind enough to put raspberries in it for her. Those were her favorite. But this morning, it just looked like a bowl full of puke and she couldn't make herself eat it. The Garrison Award was probably the last thing on her mind. On Sunday afternoon, she'd gotten a call from Rodger.

"Sarah," he'd said. "I was wondering if I could talk to you. I wanted to know what library you got this book from?"

Sarah couldn't think of what Rodger was saying at first, then she remembered the lie she'd told him about _The Labyrinth_ being a library book.

"The . . . the one downtown," Sarah answered. "Why?"

"Well," said Rodger. "It's just that I can't find it anywhere else. The author is never mentioned anywhere in the book. There is just the title and the story. And I've been to bookstores, the library near the mall (you know the one), and I can't seem to find it anywhere. How did you find it?"

Sarah hadn't been able to answer. _Where _did_ I get that book from?_ She thought about it so long, she almost forgot she was talking to Rodger.

"Well, I can't quite remember," said Sarah, just saying whatever occurred to her. "But I think that's the only copy that library has."

"That's too bad," said Rodger, sounding disappointed. "Hey, listen Sarah. You seem to be the only person in the whole school who has read this book."

"Y-yeah," Sarah had said, uncertainly.

"Well," Rodger went on. "I've run the idea of performing _The Labyrinth_ by the rest of the club and they _loved_ it. The script is just about finished."

"Really?" said Sarah surprised. "You've only been working on it for two days! You're already finished."

"Just about," said Rodger, proudly. "It's nothing a few dozen cups of coffee can't do."

"You mean you've been working into the night?!"

"The important thing is," Rodger cut in. "We're doing casting after school on Wednesday and I wondered if you could come and help me?"

"What? Why me?"

"Because you're the only person whose read this book," Rodger said again. "Nobody else has even _heard_ of it. I doesn't help that the author is anonymous either. So, will you come and help me pick the perfect cast?"

Sarah was utterly against it. She didn't want this play to happen at all. But, then again, she couldn't stop Rodger. And if the play was really going to happen, she might as well be there to make sure it was done right.

"Sure, I guess I can do that, Rodger," She'd replied, against her better reasoning.

"You're a lifesaver, Sarah," said Rodger happily. "I'll see you in school. Bye."

Sarah had hung up the phone, feeling uneasy. Rodger was making things very difficult for her. He kept bringing the labyrinth into her life, even though she'd spent three years, _three years_, doing everything in her power to pretend it had never happened.

Toby hadn't helped with things either. He kept bringing his drawings to her, looking for her approval. The worst, by far, had been Toby's picture of "Man" crying. That one he'd given Sarah to keep.

"It's a pwesent," he insisted, pushing the paper into her hands. "I want Sawah to keep it." But it just made her think too much about the labyrinth. She couldn't afford to think of the labyrinth. Least of all the Goblin King. Toby's picture had filled Sarah's brain with endless questions. They buzzed around and around her head, like a swarm of gnats, consuming her attention so that focusing on anything else was laughably impossible.

_Why would Toby draw that?_ Sarah would wonder. _Why would the Goblin King cry because of me? What power did I have over him? I mean, I know that he has no power over me, but that doesn't mean that I can do anything to him. He was right. I'm no match for him. But then . . . why was I allowed to take Toby and go home? All I did was say a few measly words._

These and many other things nagged at Sarah's brain all day and deep into the night. Then, when she'd finally drifted off, she'd awoken again to the same questions still there in her head, keeping her upset and guessing.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Wednesday came all too quickly for Sarah. She'd told her father and Irene that she would be late getting home that day and headed off for school. By now, she was starting to notice where her lack of attention was getting her in the world of academic achievement. She'd gotten a D on a math quiz, and she'd completely forgotten about a paper she was supposed to turn in for science. Her mind had been so elsewhere all week that she now had to work twice as hard to make sure she didn't fail her classes. Irene would never let her forget it if Sarah humiliated her by coming home with failing grades in all her classes except art.

As the bell rang at the end of the day, Sarah grabbed her things and headed for the drama club's meeting room. On her way, she passed Dirk Bloomings and his gang of weirdo friends.

"Grand Master Wizard," she heard one of them mutter as she passed. "Look who it is."

She heard Dirk gasp in surprise. "Miss Williams," he whispered admiringly. Then, just barely audible, she heard him say with a losery sigh of longing, "She wants me so bad."

Sarah waited until she rounded a corner before retching. _Gross, gross, GROSS! _Sarah screamed inwardly. _I wouldn't be so repulsed if he wasn't such a gross, creepy, dork! I can understand trying to escape to a world of fantasy (seeing as I have, quite literally), but do you have to make _me_ a part of your gross alter-reality?_

_And to think,_ said a small voice in the back of her head. _You could've had a king._

"Oh, shut up," Sarah scolded herself, angrily. "I could not! I mean . . . why would he want anything to do with me?" This last part came out as a whisper, full of what might have been sadness.

"Sarah!" Sarah looked up to see Rodger just outside the drama club room. "Come on in. We are just about to start."

Sarah followed him into the drama room. It was like a tiny theater, with rows of soft chairs and a small stage that was usually used for auditions. The larger stage in the cafeteria was what was used for the major performances. What looked like the entire drama club and several fresh faces had turned up for the chance to be in _The Labyrinth._ Sarah felt nervous as she looked over all the people. Did they have any idea what they might be risking?

"Everybody put a lid on it!" Rodger called over all the heads. "I am Rodger Beckham, the drama club president and director for _The Labyrinth._ This is Sarah Williams and she will be assisting me with the casting today. Thank you all for coming into auditions today. I hope you have all looked over your copies of the script and have the lines semi-memorized. Now, I would like all the young ladies auditioning for the role of the princess to please step forward."

And so it began. Rodger wrote down all the names of all the kids and which parts they were auditioning for. There were 24 girls auditioning for the Princess (aka Sarah), 18 boys auditioning for the Goblin King (none of which looked a thing like him), and 20 others who were auditioning for various parts such as goblins and other creatures. Then they split up into groups and started rehearsing lines from the script. Sarah felt antsy and fidgety the whole time. It was clear to her that none of these kids really knew or felt what they were saying. Some girls were so giggly that it was ridiculous, others read from the script as if they were robots, and not a single one of the boys could get the part of the Goblin King right. They couldn't capture his arrogant smirk, this regal stance, that swagger he had the made him both royal and a scoundrel.

After about an hour of seeing her adventure butchered by these inexperienced fools, Sarah sat and watched a girl and a boy playing out the scene of the Goblin King's defeat. It was the part where Sarah had said the words that had allowed her and her brother to be free from him.

The girl playing Sarah, whose name was Sherri Prell, was standing across from the boy playing the Goblin King, whose name was Brian Goelz.

"Through dangers unnumbered," said Sherri, reading dryly and stiffly from the script. "And h-hardships untold. Oh! Wait, sorry! I mean dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. I've fought my way here to the castle in the Goblin City to take back the stolen child that you've . . . um . . . stolen."

"Urg!" Sarah couldn't help but grumble.

"What's the matter?" Rodger asked her.

"She's totally butchering it!" Sarah complained. "And she's not the only one. None of these girls are doing it right!"

"My will is great and my kingdom is strong," Sherri continued. "Um. I have . . . no, you have . . . wait," she looked at her script, lost. "Is it that I have power over him or that he doesn't have power over me?"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Sarah was on her feet and marched right up to the stage and climbed onto it where the two were standing. "Listen, I know you're all trying your best and everything, but this scene isn't one that you can get wrong. It is very, very important." She turned to Brian and looked as him just as she had looked at the Goblin King three years ago.

"You have to stand tall," she instructed the actresses, demonstrating by standing as tall as she could go without rising onto her toes. "And look at him straight in the eye. No matter what, you have to look at him and not show a single sign of weakness or fear. You have to do what needs to be done. Never waver, never back down, and don't let him intimidate you, whatever you do."

Sarah suddenly felt the eyes of all the kids in the room on her. But she didn't mind them looking at her. All of their eyes combined where nothing compared to the stare of the Goblin King. The true Goblin King, not this simple boy pretending to be him.

"And then," said Sarah, still not taking her eyes off Brian. "You speak."

Sarah could practically feel everyone in the room lean in to get a good look at what she was doing. Sarah took a deep breath and spoke the words she knew so well. "Give me the child. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours . . ."

_"Stop! Wait. Look, Sarah. Look what I'm offering you. Your dreams."_

The Goblin King's voice, as strong as it had been on that day, echoed in Sarah's memory. She didn't mind. This was what needed to be done. If she was going to show them how to do it, she needed the real thing, not some feeble boy muttering some written lines.

"And my kingdom is as great," Sarah said, taking one step forward.

_"I ask for so little. Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want."_

"He'll try to provoke you at this point," Sarah muttered to the surrounding people, only vaguely aware that they were there. She was remembering the whole thing so well, so vividly. Brian was fading from her view. Her mind was painting over him, replacing the boy with a king. "But you mustn't listen. You must be as strong as you say you are. And then . . ."

_"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave."_

The Goblin King's final plea echoed in Sarah's mind. So vivid. So sharp. _Your slave . . . your slave . . . love me . . . I will be your slave._

"You have no power over me."

The words rushed out of Sarah's mouth just as they had done three years ago. It was as if a rush of power had flown from out of her lips, charging at the one before her. Again she saw him. Saw the pain of defeat in his expression. Saw him toss his crystal to her. Saw his eyes. Full of defeat. Full of . . . sorrow?

She saw him fall. His body forming a graceful arch, his billowing white cloak flying all around him as he fell from before her. She saw the owl. The beautiful white barn owl, its white wings flapping as it flew out of an open window and disappeared into the darkness from whence it came.

There was suddenly a hissing in her ears. Sarah looked around her. She'd completely forgotten where she was. The Goblin King was gone from her mind. Now she was surrounded by kids. School kids. Her peers. They were all whispering and looking at her with a strange expression. It wasn't an unpleasant expression. Not at all. It was one of reverence. Of awe.

"R-right," she said, looking around at them all. "So, b-bear all that in mind and, um, and you'll do just fine. Yeah. You'll do just . . . fine. Right. Yeah."

Sarah hopped off the stage. She didn't go back to her seat next to Rodger. She headed straight to the door and marched outside into the hallway. She kept walking and walking. Out of the school, onto the sidewalk, away from the school, toward her house.

_WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT!?_ Sarah screamed inside her head as she marched. _What happened? Since when are flashbacks that overpowering? Alright, that is it. I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not going to be involved in this play any longer. Rodger can do whatever he wants but I'm not having anymore part of it. And that is final!_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah was reluctant to go to school the next day. She knew she'd be teased senseless because of what happened at the auditions the other day. To her surprise, however, nobody said a single thing to her about it. There was, however, a lot of whispers and pointing going on as she passed. Just when she decided not to worry about it, the school PA system came on. Rodger's voice echoed throughout the halls.

"Attention, everyone. The cast for this years spring play has been posted outside the drama room. The drama club would like to send its thanks out to everyone who tried out and we hope that everyone in the school will do everything they can to support those chosen to be in the cast. I repeat, the list of those who will be in the cast is posted outside the drama room. Thank you (click!)."

_Only one day of auditions and he already has the whole cast picked out?_ Sarah thought as she headed for her next class. _Wow. Rodger really is sure of himself._

When the final bell rang, Sarah thought she'd dare to take a peek at who had been selected for the play. She only hoped that it would be done right. She headed for the drama room and took a look at who it was. She started from the bottom.

**THE LABYRINTH**

**BY ANONYMOUS. SCRIPT BY RODGER BECKHAM**

**FOX KNIGHT – MINDY MARCUS**

**THE BEAST – RANDY CLASH**

**THE DWARF - GUS FARGUSON**

Sarah was satisfied with the kids who had been selected to play her friends. Mindy Marcuswas very small and a renowned Shakespearian actress, a good choice for Sir Didymus, even though Mindy was a girl. Randy Clash was amazingly tall and rather stoic, so Ludo would be a good role for him. Gus was short and a bit of a clown and there was a definate Hogglish-ness to him. Sarah kept looking at the script.

**WICKED STEPMOTHER – SHAWNA TEMPLETON**

Sarah laughed. Shawna was a popular girl who thought of only herself. What a perfect person to play Irene, the wicked stepmother. Still laughing to herself, Sarah continued to look at the list.

**THE GOBLIN KING – MICHAEL HAYWARD-JONES**

Sarah was relieved. Of all the boys that had auditioned for the Goblin King, she was glad Rodger had chosen Mike. Mike was from Australia and had come to America to go to high school. He looked absolutely nothing like the Goblin King, but he wasn't bad looking either. He had reddish-brown hair, green eyes, a muscular build, and a dimple on his cheek that showed up every time he smiled. Sarah's only problem was that Mike seemed like a very nice person the very moment you meet him. The Goblin King didn't have that at all. Sarah was glad it was Mike, but he might just be too nice to be the Goblin King. Sarah looked at the top of the list to see who it was who had gotten the lead.

**THE PRINCESS – SARAH WILLIAMS**

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

**Ying-Fa: Dun, dun, DUUUUUUUUUUUUUN! Oh no! I did not see that coming at all! I am positively shocked!**

**Nagini-chan: What are you talking about? You put that in the summery.**

**Ying-Fa: No snake comments welcome! So there you have it. The play is cast. What is going to happen!? Ha, don't you love a good cliffhanger? Reviews are lovely. This is the second of my stories that actually reached double digits when it comes to reviews. I'm so happy! Please regard me kindly. (p.s. Don't follow Rodger's example. Coffee is not good for you!)**


	5. Never Before Seen

**Ying-Fa: (sigh) I love all your lovely reviews. It makes me want to write more. Here is chapter five for you. Oh, in answer to Kore-of-Myth's question, Nagini is my own pet snake who was named after the snake in Harry Potter. (BEST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN!)**

**Nagini-chan: Yeah, Ying-Fa has no imagination when naming stuff.**

**Ying-Fa: Shut up! (it's an odd feeling, telling a snake to shut up) Anyway, please keep reading and reviewing, you precious things!**

Sarah waited outside the drama club room, waiting for Rodger to come out. When he finally did, he was accompanied by Mike Hayward-Jones, the boy who had been cast as the Goblin King.

_Good,_ thought Sarah._ I want to talk to both of them anyway. Of anyone in this play other than me, he's the one in the most danger._

Rodger turned and saw Sarah standing there. "Hey, Sarah!" he said, smiling at her. Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. "I know, I know. There is no need to thank me. I understand that you're full of utter awe and adoration for me since I gave you the lead, but I assure you that I don't need any kind of thank you. If you feel that you must shower me with praise, however, I will not stop you. Go on, shower me with praise!"

"Rodger, I can't do it."

Rodger's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"I can't do it. I can't be in the play," said Sarah, firmly. "You have to find someone else to play the princess, because I can't. I really can't Rodger, I'm sorry."

Sarah braced herself for whatever came next. She expected Rodger to get angry, to shout that he had gone through all the trouble of letting her be in the play and she was just going to throw it away, and tell her that she was being selfish and that her decision would ruin the play entirely. Sarah also expected him to look disappointed that she'd refused the opportunity he had given her. The very, very last thing she expected, however, was what Rodger really did. He burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Rodger through his head back, his glasses shining in the gleam of the florescent lights overhead, all of his teeth were visible as laughter boomed from his mouth and echoed through the hall.

"Rodger," said Mike, in his heavy Australian accent. "Don't laugh at the girl. That's really rude."

"S-sorry, I'm sorry," said Rodger, whipping his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sarah. I shouldn't have laughed."

"No, you shouldn't have," snapped Sarah, feeling angry and abashed. "What was that all about?"

"It's just that I could have sworn that you said you were going to refuse the lead role in the play," said Rodger, shaking his head as if the whole thing were the funniest joke he'd ever heard. "Ha! Ah, that was a good laugh."

"But, Rodger, I'm serious," Sarah insisted. "I can't be in the play. I really can't!"

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," said Rodger, patting her shoulder. "_I understand._ You see it all the time in the drama club. Tiny little freshmen get larger roles than they expect and they start freaking out and saying they can't do it."

"I happen to be a junior," snapped Sarah. "And I really . . ."

"I know you're a junior, Sarah," said Rodger, nicely. "I'm merely saying that you're going through exactly what it is that they go through. It's the whole 'I'm not worthy' thing. You get something great and you feel you don't really deserve it. It's fine, all young actors get it."

"But that's _not it!_" Sarah cried, now quite desperate. "Rodger, I'm really serious. I can't be in the play. You have to find someone else."

"You'll see, Sarah, you'll see," said Rodger, patting her shoulder again. "You'll be totally comfortable on stage. You were born for this part and you'll come to know that yourself."

_You don't say!_ Sarah thought furiously. "But Rodger, I didn't even audition."

"What are you talking about?" said Rodger, waving his hand. "Of course you auditioned. I saw you go up on stage and say those lines. You were perfect. I totally believed everything you were doing and saying. It was a flawless audition. So what if you've never been in one of the school plays before? Everyone who saw you agreed that you would be the best choice for the lead."

"I wasn't auditioning!" Sarah shrieked. "I was trying to tell the other girls what they were doing wrong. I didn't really mean to try for the part!"

"Sorry, Sarah," said Rodger, now seriously. "The play is cast. You're the Princess. I'll expect you at practice on Monday afternoon. Talk to Mike here, he'll help you see that the life of the stage is just right for you. I have to meet with the president of the band club. This play calls for some background music. Careful, Mike, I may even make you sing in this thing." And with a triumphant laugh, Rodger walked off.

Sarah growled in frustration. Rodger was being utterly impossible. She couldn't be in this play. She just couldn't be in it. It was too much. All she'd worked so hard to let go of was coming back to her. She couldn't deny that a tiny bit of her was glad that the labyrinth had come back into her life, but she also knew that it would only make it that much harder when the play came to an end, and she'd have to forget about it all over again.

"Sorry about him," said a voice next to her. Sarah turned and saw that Mike was still there. She'd almost forgotten about him. "Rodger's a nice guy, but he can be a little bit, well, Rodger."

"I know what you mean," said Sarah, heavily. "Congratulations on being Goblin King. That's a very important role."

"Thanks," said Mike, smiling awkwardly. "Yeah, I can't believe Rodger cast me for Goblin King. I'd have thought I was too nice to be the bad guy."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Sarah.

"But, I mean, he's not all bad though, is he?" said Mike, scratching his chin.

Sarah stared. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's in love with the girl, isn't he?" Mike explained. "If he's capable of loving someone other than himself, than he can't be all that bad."

"I don't think I follow."

"Well, I read a lot of comics," said Mike, looking slightly embarrassed. "Stupid hobby, I know."

"I don't think it's stupid. But go on."

"Well, a lot of villains in my comics, they only care about themselves," Mike went on. "They're all about themselves. You know, wanting to rule the world and all that. Stealing and killing and all the evil stuff they do in the stories, it is all for themselves. But this Goblin King guy, he's in love with a girl. If he can feel something like love for another person, then he must not be all that bad. Sure, that doesn't make him Saint Peter either, but there is a bit of good in him. I mean, all he does all the time is do what she asks him to do. Remember those lines he says? What are they again? Bah! I can't remember. But it was all about being generous? He was telling her about doing all this stuff for her and that he was generous for doing it?"

Sarah remembered very well what Mike was talking about. _"Everything you wanted, I have done. You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time, I have turned the world upside-down, and I have done it all for you. I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?"_

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about," Sarah said, vaguely. "I guess I see what you mean."

"Well, that's what makes him not seem so bad to me," said Mike, shrugging. "I gotta go. Me dad's probably waiting for me. I'll see you at practice on Monday, then."

"Bye," said Sarah, waving to him. Mike was nice. She was glad that she would be working with him in this play. She pondered on what he had said though. Maybe he was right. Maybe she'd made the Goblin King out to be worse than he actually was.

_But then again,_ Sarah thought, stubbornly. _Mike's never had his sibling stolen, been made to run the labyrinth, been looked in an oubliette, been chased by cleaners, been nearly pulled apart by Fierys, eaten drugged peaches, been dumped into an enormous junkyard, faced the entire Goblin Army, ran through the Escher room, and faced the Goblin King himself, now has he?_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah came home that day, feeling gloomy. The moment she walked in the door, Toby was running right for her, his arms open wide to receive a hug.

"Hi, Sawah!" he cried, throwing his arms around her knees. "Wow-come home!"

"Hey there, Toby," said Sarah, giving Toby a kiss on the top of the head. "Did you have a good day today? How was preschool?"

"Fun!" said Toby. "I like pweskool. I have," he held up one hand. "Five fwiends!"

"That's great," said Sarah, happily. "Who are they?"

"Joey, Bobby, J.C., Davy, and Chwis," Toby counted on his fingers. "But I have more."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I have Mommy, Daddy, Sawah, Lance-lot, and Man when I'm at home," Toby explained. "So I wheelly have," he looked down at his fingers. "Ten fwiends!"

_Oh, no,_ Sarah moaned inwardly. _Not "Man" again._ "Toby, do you ever see Man other than when you're asleep?"

"Nope," said Toby, shaking his head. "I jus 'member him in my sleep."

"Remember?"

"Yeah," said Toby, thinking. "I was with all these things and they were all talking and I was wheelly scared, then Man stands up and he sings and they sing and everybody singing and dancing, then I wasn't scared anymore."

"Uh, huh," said Sarah, uncertainly. "Um, listen, Toby . . ."

"Toby? Toby, is Sarah home?" Irene's voice came echoing in through the hall.

"Yes, Mommy," said Toby, turning away from Sarah to run toward his mother. Irene came in and let Toby give her a hug too.

"Hello, Sarah," she said. "How was school?"

"Um, I don't know," said Sarah, honestly.

"What does that mean?"

"The drama club president wants me to be in the spring play this year," Sarah admitted. She didn't mind telling Irene. In fact, she'd hoped to tell Irene. If anyone could think up a reason why Sarah shouldn't be in the play, it was Irene. And whatever reason Irene gave her, she could give to Rodger and hopefully managed to back out of being in the play altogether. To Sarah's surprise, however, Irene's face lit up.

"Really?" she said, looking at her stepdaughter with interest. "So, will you be acting or working backstage?"

"I'll be acting," Sarah told her. "I got the lead, actually."

"Well, I may not think acting a very good choice for a career," said Irene. "But I think this could be a very, very good thing for you Sarah."

"What!?" Sarah stared at her stepmother, shocked.

"Oh, Sarah," said Irene. "You spend all your time locked up in your room painting. If you're involved in a group activity like this, then maybe you'll learn to be a little more social. I've just been saying this to Robert, you need to be involved in more things and interact with people more. If you're in a club, well that's just great. This could be an excellent opportunity to get to know more people and make new friends. I think this is a whole new starting point for you, Sarah, I really do."

Sarah suddenly felt utterly defeated. Her only lifeline had failed her. There would be no point in asking her father what he thought. He would simply agree with Irene, like he always did. Sarah suddenly longed to be alone, away from her stepmother. "Irene, I think I'm going upstairs to take a nap. I'm really tired today."

"Oh, alright," said Irene, looking surprised. "I'll call you when it's time for dinner."

"Alright, thanks," Sarah replied dully and she headed up the stairs to her bedroom. Once inside, she collapsed onto her bed, took one of her pillows, and shoved it down on to her head, sandwiching her head between the pillow and her mattress.

_. . . . . . . I give up!_ Sarah thought miserably. _There is just no other way to express my feelings on this matter. It . . . is . . . just . . . NOT FAIR!_ She pounded her fist into her mattress as she thought these last two words. _Must the entire world conspire against my every attempt to forget the labyrinth? Was all that work for nothing? Was all that energy I used to forget what happened wasted? Were all those tears I cried at the idea of forgetting my friends all worthless?_ The hand she'd used to pound on her mattress fell over the edge of her bed and dangled there lifelessly. _It is no use. There really is no point in it, is there? I'm just going to have to accept the fact that it happened. I was there and it really happened. The labyrinth is real. My friends Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus were real. The Goblin King is real. And I'm just going to have to deal with that._

Sarah suddenly sat bolt upright. _The Goblin King is real!_ Her mind was racing. _He really was real. He existed. He still exists now._ Sarah began to panic, her thoughts racing. _What if he discovers the play? What if he knows I'm going to be in a play about what happened when I said those words? What if he knows that some boy will be playing him? What will he do to Mike? What if someone says something and summons him by mistake? What if he comes? What if he ruins the performance?_

_No,_ Sarah thought, stubbornly. _No. He's not going to do anything. I'll make sure he doesn't. I AM going to be in this play. I AM going to do my part. I'm going to protect this production. I'm going to watch over the entire thing. I'm going to make sure he doesn't come anywhere near us as we're performing. I'll make sure that this play goes down without a hitch. No matter how powerful he may be, there is one fact that remains the same. He has NO power over ME!_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah stared at the blank canvas before her. Sometimes she'd get some kind of inspiration by just looking at the blank space on which she was to do her art by trying to see what she could do to fill it in. Right now, however, she had too much going on in her mind. Irene had called her down for dinner a few hours after Sarah gone up to her room for a nap. The said nap never came, however. Sarah had stayed awake, laying in bed, her thoughts drifting over and over about the labyrinth and whatever scheme the Goblin King might think up to ruin the play. These same thoughts were what it was that kept Sarah's artistic flow at bay.

Sarah looked down at her set of acrylic paints. They were the very nice, expensive kind that her father had given her for her birthday. She blotted several dots of each color onto an old dinner plate, but they were now getting hard as Sarah's mind refused to lend her any help when thinking what to paint. Sarah picked up one of her fattest brushes and mixed some white in with one of her favorite shades of blue. She liked this blue so much because it was so pretty and easy to work with. It had been what she had used for many of her landscapes for when she needed a proper color for the sky.

_Alright,_ Sarah said, as the two paints combined and formed the perfect shade of blue for an afternoon sky. _I'll make this an outside picture. I always did like using this color for the sky. _Sarah loaded the large brush with the newly created sky blue and ran it across the top of the canvas. It seemed to help with the feeling that she was doing nothing to achieve the Garrison Award. Sarah painted two-quarters of the canvas in the sky blue before looking back down at her colors. She tried a few experiments, mixing this color with that, still looking for inspiration.

She soon noticed that by mixing a rich brown with white and adding a tiny bit of yellow, it made a rough sandy color. Sarah allowed herself a small smile. She kind of liked this color. It reminded her of something . . . but what?

_Better not think about it_, she said, sulking as she painted the sandy color onto the rest of the blank canvas. _Odds are it'll have to do with __**all that**__ again._

When she'd finished painting on the new color, Sarah stared at what she'd done. It was now half-sky blue, half-sandy brownish, and still very much incomplete. Sarah sighed. There was no point working on this any longer. She couldn't think of anything that would improve the picture now. She looked over at her clock. It was 8:45. Maybe she'd just turn in early tonight. She put her paints and brushes away, left the canvas in a corner of her room to dry out, went downstairs and washed the paint off the plate, bade Robert and Irene goodnight (Toby had gone to bed a 7:30), went back upstairs and went through her bedtime routine of brushing her teeth, putting her hair up, getting on her pajamas, and hopping into bed.

Tonight, Sarah forbid herself to even think about the labyrinth. She thought only of how comfortable her bed was and how tired she felt. She refused to think about Rodger and the play, too. She would not let it go to her mind. She would ignore it completely. Sarah sighed into her pillow. She just wanted to sleep. No more worrying about anything right now. If only, for one night, she could just get some sleep . . . .

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_Sarah knew where she was. She'd been there before, but it had been different at the time. The last time she'd been there, the Goblin King's throne room had been empty. The goblins had all gone out to stop her from getting into the castle and the King himself had fled into the Escher room. Now, however, it was full of goblins and noise. Everywhere she looked, she could see goblins. They were arguing, talking, chasing chickens and just making a world of noise. Sarah stared. She was looking right at the creatures, but not a single one of them seemed to know she was there._

_She walked over to a pair of goblins who seemed to be having a tug-a-war over a long rope of linked sausages._

_"Find your own!"_

_"Let go!"_

_"Beat it!"_

_"It's mine!"_

_"I saw it first!"_

_"I called dibbs!"_

_"You did not!"_

_Sarah reached down to tap one of the goblins, but she couldn't. Her hand, she now saw, was semi-transparent. Now she understood. Right now, in this room, she was little more than a ghost to these creatures. She could see them, but they couldn't see, touch, smell, or hear her._

_Sarah looked around the room and felt a slight shock. Sitting in the strange throne in the middle of the room was him. The Goblin King. He sat there, looking rather bored. One leg was draped lazily over one of the curved arms of the chair; the other was tapping the ground dully with the tip of his boot. His head was resting on one fist; his free hand was tossing one of his crystal spheres up into the air and catching it effortlessly. His strange eyes swept around the room. What he was looking for exactly, Sarah couldn't really think. _

_But then something happened. The Goblin King's eyes grew suddenly wide, he sat upright in his throne, the hand that was tossing the crystal suddenly stopped and clutched at his chest._

_"Argh!"_

_Crash!_

_The crystal fell to the floor and shattered. The noise that had filled the hall died at once as every goblin in the room turned their eyes expectantly to their king. But the Goblin King didn't do anything. He stared at the shattered fragments of his crystal with one had still clutching his heart. There was something pained in his expression, as if there was something he was trying to hold back. He quickly covered his mouth with his other hand, closing his eyes very tightly and breathing deeply._

_The goblins hadn't made a single move. They continued to watch their king, looking expectant. No doubt they thought that he'd dropped the crystal in order to gain the attention of everyone in the room. After a few moments of nothingness, one of the smaller goblins dared to step out of the crowd._

_"Your Highness?" it said in a squeaky little voice._

_The Goblin King opened his eyes. They swept around the room again, noticing all of his subjects watching him. He quickly regained his composer, swinging his leg back over the arm of this chair as if nothing had happened._

_"What are you all staring at?" he said dully. "It has passed. Go on. As you were."_

_Within milliseconds the room had resumed its noise and chaos. Only Sarah was still paying attention to the Goblin King. There was something still wrong. His face had a worried look in it, he was still clutching his chest, and there was something different about his face. It was paler, weaker than before._

Before she knew what was happening, Sarah was awake. Back in her bed, and miles and miles away from the Goblin King's throne room. Sarah's mind was racing, overwhelmed with what she'd just seen.

_What on earth was that about?_

**Ying-Fa: And another one gone and another one gone! Chapter five is finished. Thank you all so much to everyone who reviewed. Those who put me on their Story Alert are all wonderful people too! If you have questions, comments, complaints, more peanuts, I'd be happy to know and I may or may not answer. That depends on whither or not it spoils the story. Ying-Fa loves you all. Tell your friends!**


	6. Something Is Not Right

**Ying-Fa: Reviews more story! I get such an urge to write thanks to all of your lovely reviews. Thank you very much. Here is chapter 6! Wow, I'm at 6 already. Time flies.**

"Cut!" Rodger's voice echoed throughout the stage. "Good work. You're really doing well. Gus, watch your blocking. You keep cutting Mike off every now and then. Alright, let's go through it one more time. You just heard Sarah cry for help. Ready? And action!"

It had been one week since Sarah had been cast as herself in the spring play. Sarah tried to just do her part and nothing else, but sometimes she found herself doing Rodger's part more than her own. She would tell other actors what they were doing wrong and how to do it right. When people pointed this out to her, she would apologize and try to ignore the obvious mistakes. She'd also had to argue with Rodger about several things he'd changed in the play.

"You wrote in the script that the Goblin King gives the princess a poisoned apple," she told him. "But it wasn't an apple, it was a peach."

"Apples are more fairy-taleish than peaches," Rodger explained, patiently. "How many fairy-tales do you know of that have enchanted peaches?"

"This one," Sarah countered.

"Yeah, but this way we connect with the audience better," said Rodger, cheerfully.

"And you called it the Bog of Eternal Misery," Sarah went on. "It's the Bog of Eternal Stench, Rodger."

"It's an improvement," Rodger said, simply.

"It's called the Bog of Eternal Stench because if you fall in it you'll smell bad forever," Sarah said, incredulously. "Not that you'll be miserable forever."

"If I had to smell bad for the rest of my life, I'd be pretty miserable," Rodger said with a smirk. "I'd never get another date. Besides, Bog of Stench sounds too comical. It sounds funny, not scary. Bog of Misery sounds like something that would frighten people, don't you think?"

"Rodger, you're messing with it too much!" Sarah insisted. "Come on, why don't you just stick to what was written."

"Hey, if the anonymous author wants to come here and tell me I'm doing it wrong, let him," said Rodger, flatly. "Otherwise, my improvements stay in the script."

Sarah growled in frustration. Rodger was simply infuriating. She'd agreed to stay in the play because she wanted to protect it in case the Goblin King saw fit to interfere with the play, she could protect it. If Rodger was going to start twisting the plot and doing things wrong, that was just adding fuel to the fire.

_If he found out about all these changes, the Goblin King probably wouldn't be able to resist coming and doing something about it,_ Sarah thought. _But, so far, I don't think he knows about any of this. I just have to make sure Rodger sticks to the book and that word of this play doesn't reach the labyrinth._

"I'm coming, Princess," said Gus, turning abruptly on the stage, pretending to have heard a cry for help. He turned right into Mike, who was leaning against the side of the stage.

"Well, if it isn't you," said Mike, putting on a cool, sarcastic demeanor. "And where might you be going, dwarf?"

"Oh, um," stammered Gus, in a very Hoggle-ish manner. "The Princess escaped from me, but I heard her but a moment ago. So, I was about to go and take her back to the beginning of the labyrinth, just as you instructed, Your Majesty."

"I see," Mike strode coolly over to the other side of Gus, eyeing him suspiciously. "For one moment, I thought you were running off to help her. But, surely you weren't about to do that after I'd already warned you of what I would do if you did? That would be utter foolishness."

Sarah sighed as she watched the two boys act. She didn't mind the lines being moved around a bit, as long as the most important ones were kept the same. But Rodger was making things to dangerous. For the sake of everyone in this production, he had to clean up his act.

"Why do you look so miserable, beauteous one?"

Sarah cringed. Upon hearing that Sarah would be in the spring play, Dirk Bloomings had joined the stage crew and was helping put the set and props together for the production. Sarah, who was already terribly worried about what would happen in the play, was extremely unhappy to learn that she'd now have to deal with Dirk as well.

"It's nothing, Dirk," she said, dully. "Rodger is just being horribly difficult about the script."

"Well, that's just not right," said Dirk, standing up straight. "He has nothing against you. You could do this entire play, just you. It could be a one woman performance and it would be the best thing ever."

"Thanks Dirk," Sarah replied, without enthusiasm.

"Whatever you need, just ask me," said Dirk, looking excited. "You know, my friends and I were thinking of putting on a play of our own."

"Really?" said Sarah, staring down at her fingernails.

"Yeah," said Dirk. "And there is a princess in that one too. She falls in love with the Grand Master Wizard and . . ."

"You know what, Dirk," said Sarah suddenly feeling queasy. "I've gotta have a word with . . . Shawna. Over there. For awhile. Bye."

"Oh, fair thee well," said Dirk, watching her go.

Sarah made sure that Dirk was no longer watching her when she stuck out her tongue in disgust. Shawna saw her and laughed.

"Looks like one of the crew guys has a crush on you," she said, teasingly.

"I know," said Sarah, miserably. "I really wish he'd just leave me alone."

"Tell him where to stick it," said Shawna, simply. "That's what I'd do."

Sarah would have dearly loved to tell Dirk where to stick it, but she was just too nice to do it. She turned her attention back to Mike and Gus on the stage.

"You'll give that to her, dwarf!" Mike was saying, pretending to grab Gus by the ear and yanking on it. "Or I'll tip you straight into the Bog of Eternal Stench before you can blink!"

"Yes, Majesty," mumbled Gus, looking defeated.

"Oh, and Hog's Breath," said Mike, sharply. "If she ever kisses you, I'll turn you into a prince."

"Really?" said Gus, looking hopeful.

"Prince of the Land of Stench! Now, off with you." Mike snapped then laughed darkly. It was a very good imitation of the Goblin King. Sarah was impressed.

"Cut!" said Rodger, clapping his hands. "Good work guys. Oh, and Mike, remember it is the Bog of Eternal Misery now."

"Really?" Mike looked unhappy. "But that just sounds wrong. Isn't it better to just stick with what it is in the book?"

"Thank you!" said Sarah, gesturing towards Mike.

Rodger frowned at both of them. "You both need to take this more seriously. Have more faith in your director. I know what it is that I am doing."

Sarah sighed. This play was so much more work that it was worth.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

That night, Sarah dreamt again.

_Sarah was surrounded by nothingness. There was nothing around her at all. There only swirling, white mistiness. What she was standing on seemed to be nothing more than some the same mist made solid, so that she could stand and walk. She looked around her. All she could see was herself and nothing else. There was nobody with her. She was alone in dense nothingness._

_Sarah wrapped her arms around herself. She felt very lonely all of a sudden. She wished she had company with her, and then this nothingness would be less frightening. Then, as if to answer her silent plea, she heard something. A soft whimpering coming from somewhere in the mist._

_"Hello?" Her voice sounded normal even in this strange place. "Is someone there?"_

_The whimpering went on. It sounded like a little child. Sarah felt a rush of compassion. Wherever they were, Sarah wanted to help the poor child. She wanted to comfort it, to help it if she could._

_"Is someone there?" she repeated. "Are you hurt? Please, let me help you."_

_And then there it was. A figure, appearing out of nowhere, right in front of Sarah. Sarah stared at the figure before her. It was a little girl, or so it seemed. The child was curled into a ball, her tiny shoulders shaking. Sarah noticed she had very, very long sandy hair. It was longer even than the girl was tall. It spilled all around her, curling and splayed all around her and made you thing of octopus tentacles, except you didn't want to run your fingers through octopus tentacles, which is what you definitely wanted to do with this child's hair._

_"Hello?" Sarah said, bending down toward the girl. "Are you okay?"_

_The girl looked up at her. Sarah received a small shock. Her eyes, the little girl's eyes were exactly like _his._ Both blue, and yet mismatched, with one pupil more diluted than the other. Sarah wanted to look away. She was afraid to see those eyes, but she just couldn't do it._

She is just so cute_, Sarah couldn't help but think. Despite the fact that she had the eyes of the Goblin King, the girl was, indeed, very cute. Her face was small and round with youth, a button nose, and a tiny mouth. She was very small and dressed in, what looked like to Sarah, a white shirt that was so long on her it could be a dress. The girl blinked, and Sarah saw the remains of tears in those horribly familiar eyes._

_The little girl stood up, still staring at Sarah. She raised two tiny fists to her eyes and rubbed the tears away so she could get a clearer look at the strange newcomer before her. Then she spoke._

_"It worked?" she said. Her voice was young and childish like Toby's but there wasn't a trace of Toby's baby-talk in her voice._

_Sarah hadn't understood what she meant, so she simply asked again, "Are you okay? Do you need help?"_

_The girl stared at Sarah, and then shook her head._

_"You don't need help?" Sarah asked._

_"Not me," the girl replied._

_"Not you?"_

_"No," said the girl. Then she stood on the tips of her toes and looked at Sarah with those mismatched eyes. "Strange," she said, looking at Sarah in what seemed to be awe._

_"What's strange?" Sarah said._

_"I don't talk to people very much," the girl replied. "It is a strange feeling, talking to somebody new."_

_"You don't talk to people?"_

_"I don't have anything to say to other people," the girl replied with a little shrug. She looked back up at Sarah and her tiny mouth curved into a smile. Oh, she was just too cute! "But I don't mind talking to you."_

_"I don't mind talking to you, either," said Sarah, smiling. "I'm Sarah."_

_"I know," replied the girl._

_"You do?" said Sarah._

_"Yes," said the girl._

_"What's your name?" Sarah asked, politely._

_The girl stared. "You know my name."_

_"I do?" Sarah was puzzled. Cute as she was, this was a very strange little girl. "When did I learn it?"_

_"You've known," said the girl. "For a very long time."_

_"I'm sorry," said Sarah. "I don't remember what it is."_

_The girl didn't look upset at all. In fact she giggled._

_"Yes you do."_

_Sarah was now clueless as to what to say to her. "I'm really sorry, but I don't remember your name. I don't even think I've met you before . . ."_

_"If you like," said the girl. "I'll tell you my special name. Only one person ever calls me by my special name."_

_"You have a special name?" said Sarah, now more puzzled than ever. "Is it like a nickname?"_

_"Uh, huh. It's what he calls me."_

_"He?" Sarah was suddenly alert. "What do you mean he? Who is he?"_

_"He calls me Rin," said the little girl, smiling._

_"Rin?" Sarah repeated._

_"Yes," said Rin, pleasantly. "But you may call me Rin too, Sarah."_

_"Really," said Sarah, smiling back down at her. "Okay, Rin it is."_

_Rin giggled again. "I like you," she said, smiling. "I remember liking you. I told him I liked you. I remember. I remember that he . . . that he . . . was . . . happy." Rin's eyes suddenly filled with tears and she buried her face in her hands._

_"Rin?" Sarah cried, kneeling down so that she was at Rin's level. "What's wrong?"_

_"Something is not right," sobbed Rin, whipping her eyes fruitlessly. "Something is not right. I know it, but he's not telling. He's not telling me!"_

_"Who are you talking about, Rin?" said Sarah, desperate for an answer. "Rin, who are you referring too."_

_"Y-you know w-without me t-telling you," Rin said through her tears._

_Sarah gasped. "The Goblin King?"_

_Rin wailed and clutched at her extremely long hair. That sandy brown color. Sarah knew that color, but couldn't think of where she'd seen it before. "Something isn't right! Something isn't right! Something is going on and I don't understand!"_

_"What isn't right?" Sarah asked, urgently. "Rin, please, tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help. I wanna help you."_

_Rin cried even harder at this. "He's sick!" she wailed. "He's sick! He's sick! He's sick and he won't tell me what's wrong! I don't know what to do. I'm scared, Sarah, I'm so, so scared!"_

_"Sick!?" Sarah gasped. "What do you mean sick?"_

_"I . . . I . . ." Rin hiccupped in her sorrow, her adorable face contorted in pain. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!"_

"Rin? What do you mean? Let me help you, Rin. What do you mean sick? Rin?"

"Sarah?"

Sarah's eyes snapped open. The swirling white nothingness was gone. Now there was blackness and a strange heaviness all over her body. She heard someone say her name again.

"Sarah? Sarah, are you alright, sweetheart?"

"D-Daddy?" Sarah's voice came out hoarse and full of sleep. Sarah had to pry her eyes open, sleep gunk having sealed them shut. She saw her father in his paisley pajamas in her doorway, looking at right at her with concern in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Robert said again. "I thought I heard you talking in here and I was worried."

"I must have been sleep talking, Daddy," said Sarah, patient even through her grogginess. "I was having a really weird dream. I'm sorry I worried you."

"That's okay," said Robert, looking mostly relieved but still a little unsure. "Do you need anything? I got up for a glass of water, do you want one."

As Robert made this offer, Sarah realized just how rough and dry her throat was. "That sounds really nice, Daddy. Thank you."

"I'll bring it up for you," said Robert. "You stay in bed."

As Robert left, Sarah collapsed back onto her pillows. When she blinked her eyes, Rin's adorable, tear-streaked face was all she saw. What a strange dream that had been. Rin had had the Goblin King's eyes and she seemed to know him. She had seemed to know Sarah too, but Sarah was absolutely positive that she'd never come across a little girl named Rin when she'd run the labyrinth. But then who had she been? What had she wanted from Sarah?

Robert came back five minutes later, holding a class of ice water. He placed it on Sarah's bedside table, gave his daughter a quick kiss on the head and apologized once more for waking her before he turned and left the room. Sarah took a long drink of cold water, and then she flopped back onto her pillows. Part of her was afraid she'd see Rin again, but then another part of her wanted to see Rin. But when Sarah closed her eyes this time, it was only to drift into a deep and dreamless sleep.

The next morning, when Sarah awoke, she hardly remembered Rin at all.

**Ying-Fa: There it is, chapter 6! Tell me what you think. Sorry Jareth couldn't be in this one, but he'll show up soon enough. It was more important to introduce Rin. Did you like her? A lot of people don't seem to like Rodger all that much. Let's face it, he's not a very good person to have as a friend. What's up in chapter 7? Beware of unchaparoned parties! That's all you're getting out of me. Leave reviews and you may know soon.**


	7. At The Party

**Ying-Fa: I'm almost at fifty reviews! Fifty! Yay! Everybody celebrate! Come on people, let's shoot for a hundred! I'll give you cookies!**

**Nagini-chan: Too late. I ate them.**

**Ying-Fa: Stop eating my cookies you freakin' snake!**

"_All that I once used to dream, I now dread._

_If he finds me, it wont' ever end._

_And he'll always be there,_

_Singing songs in my head."_

**- Christine **

**From "Notes" in **_**The Phantom of the Opera**_** Part II**

Sarah looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was dressed in a gown much like the costumes she used to dress up in before she'd run the labyrinth. This one was made of velvet and a deep red wine color and trimmed with gold.

"This dress, I think is the best for you," said Natalie, the girl who was in charge of the costumes for the play. "It's one of the best that we've got and it seems to fit you pretty well."

"I don't know," said Sarah, carefully. "The skirt's a bit long. I don't want to trip in the middle of a scene."

"Oh, I can fix that," said Natalie, simply. "Now, as for your hair and make up," she pulled out a drawing of a feminine face that she'd drawn make up on and had drawn the hair in a pretty, braided up do. "What do you think?"

"It is a bit much," said Sarah, looking cautiously at the heavy make up that Natalie had drawn on the face.

"That's the theater for you," said Natalie, grinning. "If you don't wear that much make up, at least, then nobody will be able to see your face."

"I see," said Sarah, dully.

They were standing in the costume loft above the stage, picking out the things that Sarah would be wearing for the performance. Sarah liked it in here. There were all sorts of strange clothes and props littered all around the place. Dresses, suites, masks, hats, shirts, skirts, vests, jackets, shoes, boots, uniforms and all other manner of clothing were crammed into boxes and hanging on hangers on pipes that dangled from the ceiling. Sarah had come up there and had been itching to put on everything she could find, but Natalie had dragged her over to a row of dresses that were proper for a princess.

Just then, Shawna came up. "Hi Natalie, Hi Sarah," she said, cheerfully.

Both girls said hi back.

"I've been meaning to talk to you guys," said Shawna. "It's my birthday this Friday."

"Happy birthday," said Natalie, nicely.

"Thanks," said Shawna, smiling. "My mom and dad are still at their new beach house, so I'm throwing a party. I'm inviting everyone in the cast, and you can come too, Natalie."

"Really?" said Natalie, looking delighted. "Oh, that'll be so much fun."

Shawna grinned. "What about you, Sarah?"

"I don't think so," Sarah replied. "I'm not much of a party girl."

"Oh, come on," pleaded Shawna. "It'll be fun."

"I'll think about it," said Sarah, sounding quite uninterested.

"You should come," Shawna insisted, but then looked at her watch. "Oh, shoot! I said I'd meet Ashley and Kitty in ten minutes. Well, _ciao_ ladies."

Natalie and Sarah watched her go. "She really thinks a lot of herself, doesn't she?" Sarah said, shaking her head, but smiling.

"Yeah," said Natalie, who was inserting pins in the hem of Sarah's dress to see how much shorter she'd have to make it. "But still, I hear her parties are a real bang! I'm glad I got an invitation to one of them. You don't think you'll be going Sarah?"

"Nah," said Sarah, looking back at her reflection. "Parties really aren't my thing. What am I going to wear in the crystal dream scene?"

"Hm? Which one is that again?"

"You know," said Sarah, looking down at Natalie. "The scene where the princess eats the peach and dreams that she's in a ballroom with the Goblin King."

"Oh, I know what you're talking about," said Natalie, nodding. "I don't know. I think Rodger wanted you in one outfit the whole time."

"What?" Sarah felt taken aback. "But I have to where something decent in that scene. The Goblin King wouldn't dance with a girl dressed in something that she'd been running around in all day. I remember he dressed . . ." Sarah had to refrain from saying "me", "he dressed her in a really pretty dress. It was all white and pretty and puffy. Like a true princess."

Natalie gave a sad chuckle. "If you can find anything like this in this mess, be my guest," she said, gesturing to the jumble of clothes around her. "But we might not even have that scene."

"What?"

"Rodger said he might take that scene out because of time," Natalie replied.

"WHAT!?" Sarah felt cheated and angry. "He can't take that scene out! It's too important!"

"Tell him that," said Natalie, shrugging.

"But he's gotta be out of his mind," Sarah said furiously. "If he finds out that Rodger is going to take out that part, then he'll be furious!"

"He? Who are you talking about?" Natalie asked, curiously.

Sarah froze. "Um, you know. The . . . the author. I bet he'd hate it if he knew Rodger was changing his story so much."

"But the author is anonymous," said Natalie. "He could be from anywhere. He could even be dead. How is he supposed to know that some kid in a high school somewhere is messing with his story? Come to think of it, the author could be a she for all we know."

Sarah wasn't paying much attention to Natalie. Now the fat was really in the fire. Rodger changing things around was one thing, but taking out the entire crystal dream? That was too much. Sarah was now really scared. She didn't know what to do. She was afraid of what the Goblin King would do if he showed up at the performance.

But then again, there was that dream she'd had of him. When she'd been in his throne room and he'd suddenly clutched his chest and covered his mouth. Something hadn't felt right. There was something wrong with him. And then there was that little girl. Rin. She'd said . . . what had she said? Something about the Goblin King being sick? Did goblins get sick? Sarah didn't honestly know. But the fact that he'd been sick was obviously a disturbing thought for Rin. She'd seemed so upset. She'd been crying so hard. Yet again, Sarah felt a maternal pity for Rin and wanted to help her. To dry her tears and calm her sorrows.

"There we go," said Natalie, smiling. "I'm done putting the pins in. Okay, you can go now Sarah. Send Mindy in, would you? We still need to put her costume together."

Sarah nodded and slipped out of the princess outfit, handed it to Natalie, then left the costume loft, her mind still on Rin's tears and the Goblin King's pale face.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah stared at her painting. She hadn't touched it much since she started the play. She just hadn't been able to figure out what she wanted to do with it. All she had was a canvas painted half blue and half light brown. She thought long and hard on it, but still wasn't able to get an idea of what she wanted to do.

There was a knock on her bedroom door. "Sarah, dinner's ready," Irene's voice came in through the door.

"Okay," Sarah called back, throwing an old bed sheet over the painting. This helped keep it out of her mind when she was doing other things. Sarah went down to the dining room where her father, Irene, and Toby were already sitting. Irene had cooked up a fancy pasta dinner for Sarah and the two adults and threw together some macaroni and cheese for Toby. Merlin lapped up water from his dish in the corner of his room.

They ate together, Robert and Irene chatting about this and that, Toby secretly passing bits of macaroni to Merlin, and Sarah was simply eating in silence, her mind full of more pressing issues.

"So, Sarah," Robert said, turning to his daughter. "How's the play coming?"

"Alright," Sarah said, not untruthfully. "The director keeps changing things around in the story, which is really annoying, but other than that, things seem to be pretty okay."

"Are you making any new friends?" Irene asked, in an attempt to be friendly.

"Sort of," said Sarah, with a shrug. "I mean, some of the others are okay, but there are some people who I'm not sure I want to hang out with on a regular basis."

"Really?" said Robert. "What does that mean?"

"Well," Sarah had to choose her words carefully. "Rodger, the director, he always seems to make decisions for other people. And there is a guy in the crew who, well, I think he's kinda creepy. And there is a girl who is one of the actors, she's okay some of the time, but she can be a bit of a snob."

"Snob?" Irene prodded.

"Yeah," said Sarah, picking at her dinner with her fork. "She's gone and invited everyone to her birthday party. It's just a chance to show everyone how big her house is and how much money her family has."

"A birthday party?" said Irene, her eyes widening. "Were you invited?"

"Yeah," said Sarah with a shrug. "But it's not like I'm going to . . ."

"Oh, you should definitely go," said Irene, eagerly.

"What!?" Sarah's head snapped up to look at her stepmother.

"If some girl is kind enough to invite you to her party, you should go," Irene said, nodding. "You go out so rarely, Sarah. I knew this play would be a great way for you to make friends. But you seem to be so uninterested in everything. Now you get invited to a birthday party. That is a very good thing. This girl is clearly trying to be friends with you and I don't think it would be very nice of you to refuse her. You should get out and have fun every now and again."

"Irene!" Sarah moaned. "I don't want to go."

"Oh, but you really, really should," Irene insisted. "It'll be such a good experience for you. A little bit of socializing would to you some good if you ask me."

Sarah stared at her stepmother, unable to believe how naïve she was being. When Irene heard the words 'birthday party' she probably thought of little kid games and clowns and that kind of thing. But Sarah knew full well that this would be the kind of party with loud music, crazy dancing, alcohol and much more.

"Daddy," Sarah turned to her father, praying he would take her side for once. "What do you think? I really don't want to go."

Robert didn't answer immediately. He finished what was on his plate, wiped his mouth slowly with his napkin and said, "I'm not going to force you to do what you don't want to do, Sarah. But, I think Irene has a point when she says that you don't go out much and a little bit of socializing won't kill you."

Sarah sighed. She might as well have not asked him at all. "Oh, fine then!" Sarah said, exasperated. "I'll make an appearance, but if I don't like what I see, I'm coming straight home, deal?"

"Fine," said Irene. "At least that is something. Toby, dear," she turned suddenly to her son. "What are you doing!? Stop giving the dog your food!"

Sarah took a very deep breath. She knew that Irene meant well by wanting Sarah to socialize, but there was something about this party that made Sarah's gut tell her it would be wiser not to attend. But, as Hoggle had once said to her, what choice did she have?

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Friday evening came far too quickly for Sarah's liking. She had found Shawna and told her that she might show up for a little while at the party. Shawna had been happy to hear that Sarah would be attending, even if only for a little while, but hadn't been able to talk, seeing as she had several more important friends to talk to. Nevertheless, Sarah had bought Shawna a pretty charm bracelet for a birthday present and had dressed in one of her best outfits for the party. She wore a black tank top, short jeans, and threw on a necklace and bracelets to complete the look. She did her hair up in a braid and applied a tiny bit of make-up, which she knew would be expected of anyone attending Shawna Templeton's birthday party.

Her dad had been kind enough to let her borrow his car for the evening. "Now, drive safely," he'd said as she walked out the door. "And remember, Sarah, no drinking, no walking off with boys, and no ritual animal killings of any kind."

Sarah rolled her eyes as she walked out the door. As she did so, she heard her father call out, "T-that last one was a joke, Sarah."

"I know, Daddy, I know," said Sarah, with a sigh. It was a sad thing when the person telling the joke had to tell the listener that their joke was, indeed, a joke. Sarah drove to Shawna's house, feeling nervous. Why did she have the feeling like she was being watched? She glanced in her rearview mirror several times, but didn't see anyone. Once or twice, she wondered if a certain someone was watching her, but was doing so in a way that she couldn't tell it was him. But Sarah dismissed this thought. The Goblin King wouldn't be watching her. He'd have no reason too. Unless he'd heard about the play, but Sarah didn't want to think about that. Not tonight anyway.

When she arrived at Shawna's house, she could already tell that her assumption had been correct. The front yard was littered with cups and other pieces of trash, and the whole house was crowded with people. Sarah resisted the urge to turn the car around and leave. She might as well just drop of her present and then Irene would have nothing to complain about. Sarah parked the car and walked into the house.

It was hot and noisy inside. There seemed to be the entire school crammed into the living room, dancing to rock music that was blaring from a fancy stereo system. Sarah waded through the sea of people, feeling disoriented and confused.

_I almost wish I was back with the Fierys,_ she thought, as two boys jumped off the top of the staircase and onto a pile of couch cushions while the onlookers hooted with glee.

"Sarah!"

Sarah turned around at the sound of her name. It was Shawna, Rodger, and Mike. They all smiled and greeted her pleasantly.

"It's my leading lady!" said Rodger, pulling Sarah over to them. "I thought you weren't going to come."

"I'm not staying long," Sarah said, almost having to shout to be heard over the music. "Happy birthday, Shawna," she added, shoving her present into Shawna's hands. "Hi, Mike."

"I'm glad you changed your mind, Sarah," said Shawna, taking the gift and smiling.

"Um, aren't you worried about them?" Sarah asked, gesturing over to a group of guys who had dropped a bag of potato chips onto the carpet.

"Nah," said Shawna, lightly. "Our maid will clean it up. Hey, pretty!" she'd just opened Sarah's gift and examined the charm bracelet. "Thanks, Sarah, it is so nice."

"You're welcome," said Sarah, forcing on a smile. She really hated the environment she was in. It just shouted negativity at her.

"You don't look all that comfortable," said Mike, quietly to her.

"I'm not," Sarah admitted.

"This isn't really my thing, either," said Mike, nodding in understanding. "I'll be outta here before long. Me dad isn't going to be home 'till eight, and I haven't my key."

"Well, see you," said Sarah, pushing her way through the crowd. She climbed up the stairs, passed even more people, trying to find an empty room. Finally, she found a door and slipped inside, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere.

Sarah looked around her. She was what appeared to be a dark, guest's bedroom. There was a plain cot with clean white blankets in the corner and a large window with a view of the yard below. Sarah closed the door, stifling the noise of the guests and the music from below. She went over to the window and looked out of it miserably. She wait in here for a few minutes, then she'd go straight home, tell Irene whatever lie she wanted to hear, then go straight to bed. She stared up at the full moon, feeling very empty. She was in a house filled to the breaking point with people, yet she felt so terribly alone.

Suddenly, Sarah heard a click behind her. She turned around. She hadn't noticed that there was someone else in the room with her. She was temporarily on the edge, ready to begin her usual chant of 'you have no power over me' in case the person in the shadows was who she thought it was.

"Sarah Williams?"

Sarah sighed. It was only Dirk. His glasses reflected the moonlight coming in from the window as he looked over at Sarah.

"Oh, hey, Dirk," said Sarah, not feeling at all in the mood to have a chat with Dirk. She'd just have to find another empty room to hide away in. "Sorry, I didn't know you were in here. I'll leave you to it."

Sarah walked right past Dirk and grabbed the doorknob. She froze, a terrible chill sweeping through her.

"Dirk," she said, turning slowly to him. "Why is the door locked?"

"Hm?" said Dirk, not taking his eyes off her. "Oh, you don't have to worry. I've got the key right here." He held out the brass key to her. Sarah grabbed it, but he stuffed it quickly into his pocket. "Now, now, my lovely. Not so hasty now. You are always so in such a hurry, you never seem able to talk to me. Well, this is the perfect opportunity to talk, don't you find?"

Sarah felt the chill that had filled her grow even colder. "Dirk, please give me that key. I wanna go."

"We are going to discuss things first," said Dirk, coming closer to her. Sarah could smell wine cooler on his breath. She was definitely afraid now. "You have been avoiding me, Lady Sarah. The Grand Master Wizard doesn't appreciate that from his betrothed."

Sarah felt a pang of disgust. "Dirk, seriously, let me go. This isn't funny. This isn't one of your stupid games. You've gotta let me out."

"My games aren't stupid," said Dirk, a scowl coming onto his face. "Not like your play. That is what's really stupid."

"Dirk, really . . ."

"Why would someone as mighty as a king fall at the hands of some girl just because she said something rude to him," growled Dirk, his eye burning into Sarah's behind his glasses. There was something very dark in his look. "He's supposed to be this great, legendary thing and yet he's beaten by . . . what? Words? That's just dumb. Words are just words. They aren't weapons, they can't hurt anybody. The Goblin King is a fool. A moron. A pitiful, weak soul."

"Dirk, please, I'm really serious. Let me out."

"The Grand Master Wizard, on the other hand, isn't a fool," Dirk continued, now starting to advance on Sarah, that terrible darkness in his eyes. "He'll not let weak words break him down. If he wants the princess for his own, then he will take her. Simple as that. No trickery, no plots, no schemes, just action. That is how he does things, Sarah, he takes action."

"Dirk!" Sarah backed away from Dirk, praying that he would back down. But he didn't. He just kept coming towards her.

"The Grand Master Wizard will not be beaten," Dirk hissed. "And now, he wants a kiss from the beautiful princess. And she'd better give him what he wants."

"Dirk, get away from me!" Sarah snapped. She took another step back and gasped as she hit the wall. Now there was no way out. "I'm serious. Snap out of it. Let me out of here, Dirk!"

"I've told you I'm the Grand Master Wizard," snapped Dirk, reaching out and grabbing Sarah's arm. "And I'm sick of you ignoring me, Sarah. So now I want you go give me a kiss and I warn you, do not deny me what I want."

"Dirk, LET GO!" Sarah screamed. But he only gripped her more tightly. He pulled her towards her and tried to cover her lips with his, but Sarah raised her free hand and pushed his face away from her. Sarah fought frantically. The Goblin King may have no power over her, but the same could not be said about Dirk. His grip was very strong and he wasn't thinking straight. He was dangerous. Dirk tore her hand from his face and glared at her before reaching his hand back.

SLAP!

Dirk smacked Sarah across the face. She let out a whimper of fear and pain and sank to her knees. Dirk seized her wrists and forced her onto the floor, no longer himself.

"Stop it!" Sarah cried. "Dirk! Stop it! Help! HELP!"

But she knew it was no good. The music and noise downstairs was too loud. Nobody would hear her. Nobody would be able to save her. Dirk got down and pinned Sarah to the ground with his knees.

"I've had enough of you ignoring me, Sarah," he hissed. "I'm done with being ignored!" He leaned down to kiss her again, but she turned her head away quickly so that his lips met the base of her neck.

"Help me!" Sarah screamed, as loud as she could, praying somebody would hear her. "Somebody! Anybody! Help me! Please, SAVE ME!"

_**ENOUGH!**_

Just as the word rang out loudly and horribly in Sarah's head, there was an explosion somewhere in the room and the two wrestling figures where showered in glass. Dirk let out a yell of surprise. He let go of Sarah's wrists to shield himself from the flying glass, and Sarah used her now free hands to shove him off of her. She crawled away from Dirk, curling into a defensive ball, trying to shield himself in case he came back at her. But he didn't. She then heard a rush of wings past her, and Dirk's cry of surprise.

Then she felt it. The atmosphere change around her. They were no longer alone in the room together. Sarah knew what she would see when she opened her eyes, but she suddenly found that she didn't care very much. She lowered her arms and opened her eyes. The window she'd been staring out of only a few minutes ago had been completely shattered. Shards of glass and pieces of wood littered the room all around them. She followed the trail of glass until she found what she was looking for. A pair of pointed black boots. She then looked up the stare at the face she thought she'd never see again. One that, for the past three years, she'd only seen in dreams.

The Goblin King stood, regal and proud, in the center of the room. His mismatched eyes were fixed on Dirk.

**Ying-Fa: Jareth has arrived! Jareth is here! And what an entrance! Won't say anything else here. Please leave reviews in the little box. Thank you.**


	8. To See You Again

**Ying-Fa: Wow. I am just so touched by all of your reactions. So many people reviewed. I am in a glass cage of emotion! As requested of you, here is my next chapter. Do enjoy.**

Sarah couldn't believe her eyes. Three years of thinking about him, of trying to block him from her mind, and there he was. He was dressed as he had been when Sarah had first seen him. He was dressed all in black, a long cape billowing out behind him, a high collar framing his face. There was, however, something different about him. When Sarah had first laid eyes on the Goblin King, he'd had a secretive smile and the sparkle of mischief in his eyes. Now, as he looked down at Dirk, there was no smile and no sparkle in his eye. The Goblin King stared down at the boy before him, his mouth a dangerous thin line and his eyes were as cold as artic ice.

"W-who are you!?" Dirk demanded, looking the Goblin King up and down, pure confusion in his face. "How did you get in here? The door's locked! Th-this is the second floor! Wait. The-the window. What happened to the window? The . . . where had that owl come from? Where is it?"

The Goblin King didn't say anything to interrupt Dirk's sputtering. He cocked his head to the side, unsmilingly. His eyes slowly traveling from Dirk's face down to his feet, as if sizing him up.

"How did you get in here?" Dirk demanded, standing up to face the newcomer. This wasn't the most impressive move. Dirk was a head shorter than the Goblin King and his sweater vest and khaki pants were particularly unbecoming next to the grand demeanor of the Goblin King. "What do you think you're doing in here? Beat it! This doesn't concern you!"

"Oh, it doesn't?" said the Goblin King, speaking at last. His tone was light, but very chilling. "I could have sworn I'd heard that young woman say the words 'save me'. Had that been a lie or some strange form of foreplay?"

Dirk turned brick red. "Shut up!" he snapped. "This doesn't concern you! This is between me and Sarah."

The Goblin King's eyes flashed when Dirk had said Sarah's name. Sarah curled up even tighter into the defensive ball she'd formed herself into. She was in as much trouble as Dirk was. The fact that the Goblin King had called her "that woman" hadn't gone unnoticed by her.

"I told you to get out," snapped Dirk, his face growing redder.

"I won't do any such thing," said the Goblin King, looking down at his hands and adjusting his glove. "She asked for help. So here I am."

Dirk sniffed. "What are you? Are you some kind of superhero or something?"

"I can be," said the Goblin King, not looking at either Dirk or Sarah. "I can be quite generous, you'll find. But I can also be very cruel."

Sarah let out a little frightened squeak. Dirk, who had not understood, simply scoffed.

"Whatever that means," snapped Dirk, taking a very unwise step toward the Goblin King. "Well, superhero or not, you shouldn't be here. Get out! Leave me and Sarah be. This doesn't concern . . ."

Quick as a flash, the Goblin King grabbed the front of Dirk's sweater vest and forced him to look him right in the eyes.

"I tolerated it once," hissed the Goblin King. "But I will not do so again."

"T-tolerated?" stammered Dirk, sounding confused. "What do you . . .?"

"Don't," snapped the Goblin King, interrupting him. "Address Sarah by her name as she is your friend, you pathetic bit of filth."

The Goblin King dropped Dirk, where he crumpled at his feet. Dirk, now very red in the face, looked up at the Goblin King with fury in his eyes.

"What was that for you . . ." but before Dirk could finish, the Goblin King kicked out at him, catching him in the chest so that he fell to the ground.

"What kind of pig of a man would force himself upon a woman?" snarled the Goblin King, now walking in a circle around the fallen boy. "Pathetic, unforgivable, weak, disgusting thing to do."

"What are . . .?"

"Do not interrupt me," snapped the Goblin King, when Dirk tried to speak. "I see you for what you are. You are a dreamer. Do trust me when I say I know a thing or two about dreams. You said you where a man of action. Ha!" The Goblin King let out a cold, mirthless laugh. "Such a lie. You do nothing but pine over that which you cannot have."

"I do not," protested Dirk. "I'm . . ."

"The Grand Master Wizard was it?" the Goblin King's mouth curled into a sneer as he said Dirk's title. "Yes, yes. We heard all that. But are you really? Alright then, great one, use your powers. Force me to my knees, begging for your mercy. Use your fantastic powers to make me quake and tremble at your feet. Go on. I will not struggle. Use your sorcery on me. Make me regret speaking to you in such a disregarding way."

The Goblin King continued to circle Dirk, like a wolf stalking its prey, waiting for the moment to strike. Dirk just sat there on the floor, his face was still very red, and pulled into an ugly look. The Goblin King laughed coldly again.

"My, what terrible power," mocked the Goblin King. "Never before have I seen such an amazing display of the power of scowling."

"Who are you?" hissed Dirk, staring furiously up at the Goblin King. "Just who are you, anyway? Just who are you to tell me . . ."

"I," said the Goblin King. "Am everything that you pretend to be. Everything and ever so much more." He raised his hand and a beautiful crystal sphere appeared in his palm.

Dirk stared at the crystal, his face going from red to white very quickly, and was soon tinged with green. "Who . . . who . . .?"

"Not so pathetic now, do you find?" said the Goblin King, rolling the crystal back and forth over his hand. "Now, about you, my poor, unfortunate fellow. You have committed, or at least were about to commit, a very horrible crime. True, I arrived in time to prevent anything from happening. Still, attempted crime is just as bad as actual crime, and such deserves punishment, don't you agree?"

Dirk was still staring at the crystal in the Goblin King's hand. He'd stopped rolling it and held it tightly in his fist. Suddenly, the crystal was no longer transparent and sparkling as it had been before. Now it was smoky and black and seemed to be filled with a dark purple light.

"Wh-what is that anyway?" stammered Dirk.

"It's a crystal," explained the Goblin King. "Nothing more. Normally, if you turn it this way and look into it, it will show you your dreams. But for you to see your dreams, that wouldn't be a very fitting punishment, would it? That is why I gave this crystal a very special power. One I've thought up especially for filth like you."

The Goblin King stopped in his continuous circle around Dirk. He now looked closely at the dark crystal in his hands then looked slowly into Dirk's eyes. "You can look into this crystal all you like, but you will not find any of your dreams. No, all you will see, my poor fellow, is your greatest and most terrible . . . of nightmares."

Without warning, the Goblin King tossed the crystal into the air. Sarah and Dirk both watched as it rose up into the air, and then start to fall right onto Dirk's head. But the crystal did not land on Dirk's head with a loud thunk and shatter into a hundred shards, as some would think it would. Instead, it sank, like a soap bubble, into Dirk's hair and disappear into his brain. For a moment, Dirk's eyes widened with shock, but then they rolled up into the back of his head and he collapsed at the feet of the Goblin King.

There was a long pause. Sarah expected more to happen. She thought something terrible would happen. She'd expected Dirk to start screaming or something, but he simply lay there, as if he were simply asleep.

"W-what happened to him?" she said, staring at him.

"He's passed off into a world built entirely out of his own nightmares," said the Goblin King, looking down at Dirk with disgust on his face. "He won't stay like that forever, though. By dawn, he will awaken from his hellish experience, under the impression that it was all the worst dream of his life, and I will simply be an alcohol-induced hallucination."

Sarah looked up at the Goblin King. He looked up as well and their eyes met. The simple contact of eyes filled Sarah with a powerful emotion. She wanted to cry out and yet remain completely silent. She wanted to laugh and yet sob hysterically. She wanted to touch him, but run away as fast as she could. An iron fist had seized all of Sarah's insides, squeezing her heart, lungs, and stomach together so that they barely managed to work, consumed with the desire that he stay and yet begging with all her might that he leave.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there, simply looking at each other, both eyes and faces devoid of expression. At last, it was the Goblin King who acted first. He tore his gaze from Sarah's, bowed his head to her, and then began to head toward the destroyed window.

"Wait!"

Sarah was on her feet. She hurried over and grabbed his arm. The iron fist in her chest squeezed at her insides in a particularly painful way when she touched him. She was relieved to see that she could touch him. It made him real made this entire experience real, and not a dream. He did not turn around to look at her, but Sarah clung to his arm, determined that he stay until she said something.

But then again, what in the world _could_ she say? Last time they'd seen each other, they had been enemies, but he'd just saved her. What do you say to someone who you'd sworn to loathe for all eternity when they suddenly do something uncharacteristically kind and caring for you? Sarah swallowed, trying to find anything to say. Finally, she gathered her courage to say what she knew she definitely wanted to say.

"Thank you," she said, very quietly. "Thank you for saving me. Thank you."

The Goblin King turned around to face her. Urg, what was it about his eyes that made her feel so very small? But there wasn't any harshness in his gaze. No hostility. It was the same look that he had when they'd found each other inside the crystal dream.

"You're welcome."

Those two little words where all he said and all she needed to hear. She felt the anxious fear inside her start to fade, the iron fist loosening its grip. Now that she was closer to him, she noticed something she hadn't before. He was paler than she remembered him being. His face looked tired and drawn and the arm she was still holding on to seemed thin, almost brittle.

Then, Rin's voice popped into her head. _"He's sick! He's sick!"_ Was this what Rin had been talking about. The Goblin King seemed to notice Sarah's eyes looking at him critically, for he quickly turned away, tugging on the arm that Sarah had a hold of, silently requesting that she let go. But she didn't.

"Wait," Sarah said again. She raised her free hand and, gathering every ounce of courage she possessed, touched his face and turned him to face her once again. "You . . . you don't look so good. Are you alright?"

He didn't answer. He blinked and looked down, suddenly reluctant to look into her eyes. He raised his hand took hold of the hand Sarah had on his cheek. There was nothing menacing in his touch. Sarah felt no threat coming from him. True, she was still very nervous, but not really afraid. The Goblin King then gave her a slight smile and inched closer to her. Sarah felt her heard throwing itself against her ribcage, half-terrified, half-overcome with curiosity over what would happen next.

He came in a little closer and Sarah felt her eyelids droop modestly. Vaguely, it occurred to her that she had dressed herself up for the first time in a long time. She wondered if he had noticed. With a slight thrill she thought she could feel his breath on her lips. He was coming in so close . . . there could be no doubt about it . . . he was surely about to . . .

And then, he was gone.

Sarah's eyes snapped open. She was alone in the room, except for the unconscious form of Dirk on the floor. The hand that had been holding on to the Goblin King's arm was now grasping only air and the hand that had been held in his was cold and lonely from the sudden separation. Sarah hurried over to the shattered window. She stared out into the black night. She couldn't see anything, not even the white barn owl flying away. He'd simply left. Vanished without a trace.

Sarah felt the corners of her eyes start to prickle. She turned around sharply and marched over to Dirk. Trying her best to touch him as little as possible, she got the key from out of his pocket, unlocked the door, and left the room.

The party was still going on. The sea of moving bodies was just as it had been when she first arrived. She pushed and shoved her way free from them. She thought someone might have called her name once or twice, but she deliberately ignored them. She reached the door and wrenched it open, accidentally hitting a boy she didn't know and making him spill his cup of beer all over his shirt. She marched across the yard, ignoring the furious remarks of the boy, got into her dad's car, and drove for home.

Sarah surprised herself as she drove. She expected to drive like a mad woman, driving on the wrong side of the road and narrowly missing other drivers, but she was doing the exact opposite. She was driving more slowly than was necessary, waiting for other people to pass her, and she didn't even mind when someone cut her off. She reached home without a scratch on herself or the car.

Sarah hurried inside. She marched in through the front door, hurried through the living room, hurried up the stairs, failed to answer when she heard Irene call her name, run into her room, slam the door, then collapse onto her bed.

Sarah expected to cry. She should have cried. That was the reasonable thing to do, wasn't it? She ought to have cried after what had just happened to her. She'd spent ten minutes in the most horrible atmosphere in her life, she's been locked in a room with a creep who had attacked her, she'd been slapped, then she'd been rescued by a man who was supposed to be her enemy and who disappeared without word moments afterward.

_He was going to kiss me_, Sarah thought miserably. _I could have sworn he was about to kiss me. Oh, I don't get it! He steals my brother and makes me run the labyrinth and all that stuff and then he shows up years later and saves me from that creep and . . . and tries to kiss me before just vanishing? Urg! Why is he so hard to understand? I . . . I would have let him kiss me. I wouldn't have minded. I mean . . . he just saved me. I . . . well, he'd deserve a kiss. Just a little one. I wouldn't have cared. I certainly didn't feel the need to resist, anyway._

There was suddenly a knock on her door. "Sarah?" It was Irene. "Sarah? Are you in there? You're back so soon!"

"Yeah, I'm here," Sarah called back, weakly. "Irene, I'm sorry. I'm really tired. I'll tell you about it tomorrow, okay?"

"Oh," Irene sounded taken aback. "Well, okay. See you in the morning then."

Sarah sighed, relieved that Irene left without a fight. Sarah kicked off her shoes and, without bothering to wash off her make-up or get undressed, she pulled her blanket around her and snuggled into her pillows. She may not have liked it, but she couldn't deny it any longer.

Past differences aside, she'd been happy to see the Goblin King again.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_Sarah looked around her. Once again, she seemed to be semitransparent and floating and she knew where she was. It was the Escher room. All of its staircases and hallways were just as she remembered them. Spread out and spiraled around in an endless mass of twisted passages. A labyrinth within the labyrinth. She couldn't really move. All Sarah seemed able to do is float there and stare at the empty and very familiar room._

_Suddenly, she heard quick footsteps. She looked around at all the different openings in the room, waiting for someone to come in. And someone did come. It was the Goblin King. He was dressed differently than he had been when he'd saved her that evening. Now he wore a white, poet's shirt, tight gray breeches, a black leather vest and those pointed boots._

_Sarah watched as he hurried through the various staircases, apparently knowing exactly where he was going. Sarah tried to get a good look at his face. His brow was furrowed and one of his black gloved hands was massaging his chest._

_Then, without warning, he stopped and slapped his free hand onto the wall to support himself. Sarah could hear him breathing and the sound frightened her. He seemed to be panting, his breath coming in wheezy gasps. He took his hand off the wall and covered his mouth quickly with it. He leaned forward, his shoulders quivering, his face contorted in what seemed to be pain. Then, Sarah realized what he was doing. He was trying to hold in a cough._

_The Goblin King's efforts proved in vain. He took the hand away from his mouth and coughed heavily into the crook of his arm. Sarah hated the sound of his cough. It seemed to give a sharp pang to the heart when she heard it. When he'd finished, the Goblin King looked into the sleeve he'd coughed into. From the angle she was at, Sarah couldn't see the sleeve, but she did notice the Goblin King's eyes widen with fear as he looked at it._

_The Goblin King took another step down the stairs, but had to lean against the wall to support himself again. He didn't seem able to move. Sarah heard him curse under his breath._

_"Not . . . here, you fool," he said, in barely more than a whisper. "Come on . . . move. Just get . . . to your chambers . . . and then . . . you can do . . . whatever you want. Just . . . get . . . to . . ."_

_He stumbled again. Sarah watched, fearfully, as he clutched both of his hands to his chest. He'd stopped talking to himself. It seemed to be to hard to talk and breath at the same time now. He took a few more wheezy breaths before his mismatched eyes rolled up into the back of his head. Sarah couldn't do anything to help him as his body seemed to go limp and he fell down the stairs._

_Every time his body hit one of the steps, the resounding thud echoed all around the room. Before long, he came to rest at a landing that made him look held up against the wall. He lay there, spread eagled, his chest still raising and falling but it only appeared to be doing so with a tremendous amount of work. Sarah could see the sleeve he had coughed into now and the sight of it made her sick._

_The crook of his arm was covered in a brilliant red stain that looked horribly like blood._

Sarah woke up with a start, her eyes full to the bursting point with tears.

**Ying-Fa: EEK! Don't stop loving me! There's more! There's more! In fact, to make up for the cliffhanger, I've a special chapter coming up. Jareth's POV! That's right; the next chapter is all Jareth and the Underground. Wanna know a little more about Rin? What's making Jareth sick? What is happening? It's all coming up!**


	9. Endlessly

**Ying-Fa: Whoa! Now I see that if I want more reviews, I'll just bring Jareth into the story earlier, hee hee! This chapter is Jareth's POV and takes place in the Underground.**

**Nagini-chan: Good. It's been kinda tiring, hearing him being called "the Goblin King" all the time.**

**Ying-Fa: Yes, yes. But that is who he is to Sarah, so while it is her POV, that's what he is called. For Sarah, he will not be Jareth for quite some time. Please, read and enjoy.**

The Underground was still and calm in the darkness of night. Only a soft wind whispered through the trees, disturbing the silence. Some miles away from the labyrinth, stood a tower. This tower was avoided by all the creatures of the Underground, because of those who inhabited it. This tower, known as Silver Tower because of its shiny silver brilliance when the sun rose, was the home of two She-Faes. The younger of these two was standing out on a balcony that presented a beautiful view of the Underground.

She was a pretty thing. Her hair was such a light shade of red that it looked pink and was tied back in a ponytail. She had dark skin and large sapphire eyes. Her eyes were closed as she felt the wind pass by her. Apparently, she was listening very hard for something, her brow furrowed in concentration, trying to catch whatever it was she so needed to hear.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open as the wind died down. She turned around and hurried back into the tower. She walked swiftly through the black marble halls, hurrying through passages, up staircases, and through doors. Finally, she found the room she was looking for. The young Fae woman swallowed nervously. She would be punished for coming in here, uninvited and so late at night. Regardless, she needed to go inside for the greater good. She would be even more horribly punished if she waited until morning.

The younger Fae opened the door. "Limstella!" she called. "Limstella!"

The girl had walked into a vast bedroom. Most of it had been taken by an enormous black bed in which a figure was tangled up in the sea of blankets of fur and black velvet.

"Limstella!" the girl called again. "Lady Limstella, wake up!"

The figure groaned furiously and sat up. The blankets fell down to reveal a beautiful Fae woman. Her honey colored hair was wavy and strangely perfect for someone who had only just woken up. Her eyes were a wicked green and she was now eyeing the girl with cold fury.

"Ena, my dear," she hissed. "What have I told you about waking me?! For heaven's sake, you miserable child, how useless are you?"

"Lady Limstella, I crave your pardon," said Ena. "I've been listening to the wind just now and . . ."

"The infernal secrets of the bloody wind can wait until dawn," shrieked Limstella, unraveling herself furiously from the depths of her bed. "What do I care what ridiculous riddles the wind fills your head with?"

"But Lady Limstella," Ena insisted. "It . . . it is about Jareth, my lady."

Limstella's anger seemed to fade rather quickly. "Jareth? Are you sure, Ena?"

"As sure as I am that I am standing here before you."

Limstella brightened at once. "Well then, come on girl," she said, pleasantly. "What has our little Jareth done this time? Has he added a nice moat to the labyrinth next? Or has he decided to come to his senses and return home to the Silver Tower?"

"Neither, my lady," replied Ena. "The wind has informed me that he has taken ill."

Limstella stared. "Ill? Come now, Ena. Don't be absurd. Jareth is probably the most powerful Fae in the Underground, apart from me, that is. He simply doesn't grow ill."

"He's not simply ill," said Ena, looking worried. "I have been informed that he has . . . my lady, I think his illness is that which destroys a Fae."

Limstella blinked. "What do you mean?"

Ena looked down at her feet. "I'm so sorry, Lady Limstella. I . . . I should have informed you sooner. This is all my doing."

"Ena, what have you done!?" Limstella marched over to Ena and grabbed her shoulders. "What have you kept from me, you little fiend!? What mistake has our Jareth made? What has he done to himself, Ena?!"

Ena trembled. "Lady Limstella, please forgive me. J-Jareth has fallen in love with a human from the Aboveground . . . and has been rejected."

Limstella stared at Ena for a moment, then her grip on her shoulder's tightened painfully and she began to shake the poor girl as if she were a rag doll.

"TELL ME YOU LIE!" Limstella roared, continually shaking the helpless girl. "TELL ME THAT YOU'RE LYING, ENA, AND EVEN NOW YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN!"

"I . . . I'm so sorry," wailed Ena. "It is the truth! Forgive me, please! I beg of you!"

Limstella stopped shaking Ena, but slapped her across the face. She fell to the ground, whimpering in fear and pain.

"In love," hissed Limstella. "Rejected! Oh, the fool! Oh, Jareth! My poor Jareth! You fool! You cruel, cruel fool!" The Fae woman threw herself on her bed again, sobbing and pounding on the mattress in a fit of fury and despair. "You fool, Jareth! You utter and complete IDIOT!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," cried Ena, still clutching her face where Limstella had slapped it. "It is my entire fault. I should have recognized the signs sooner. I could have prevented this."

"Yes, you could have," roared Limstella, standing up so that she could bend down and slap Ena again. "You have the power of hearing the voice of the wind. Why did you not tell me of this venture BEFORE he fell ill?!"

"You know the wind speaks to me only in riddles," Ena protested. "I thought it was the Aboveground _itself_ that he'd fallen in love with. But, if he has fallen ill, then it can only mean that his heart mourns for a human."

"Do you have ANY idea what that means?" Limstella hissed, her eyes flashing.

"Yes," said Ena, miserably. "I know all too well."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Hey, Ugly, get away from there!"

"I'm just going to fix the blankets.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"You know the rules."

"I know the rules."

"So, get down from there."

"What do you think he'll be angrier about? Being cold or being woken up?"

"He'll be mad about both!"

The high pitched voices echoed dully in Jareth's mind. He could only just make out what they were saying. His body felt very heavy and his chest ached with every beat of his heart.

"So, would he rather be cold or woken up?"

"You decide. Do you wanna get locked in an oubliette for the rest of your days or get tipped into the Bog of Eternal Stench?"

"Careful, if you wake him up while he's cold he'll do both. I've seen it."

"No, you haven't."

"Yeah, you're right. I haven't. Still, I bet he would."

"Really? How much?

"Two chickens."

"Done!"

Jareth forced himself into a sitting position. He heard frightened squawks from the goblins that had surrounded his bed and heard them scamper into whatever hiding places they could find. Jareth ignored them. He rubbed his chest, trying desperately to soothe the pain and quietly suppressing a cough.

"Who is it?" he said, groggily, addressing the hidden goblins. "Who is here?"

One of the goblins peeked over the foot of his bed. Jareth tried to remember his name, gave up fairly quickly, and then asked, "Who are you? What are you doing in my chambers? What's happened?"

The goblin stepped bravely onto the bed next to Jareth's foot and bowed deeply. "Diggle's the name, Your Highness. Diggle noticed that Your Highness came back from his trip looking a little tired. Diggle wondered if he could do anything for Your Highness, but couldn't think of anything. So, Diggle goes to ask Your Highness if he is in need of anything from him, but Diggle finds Your Highness asleep in the Escher room. So Diggle went and got help so that he could get Your Highness to his chambers so that he could sleep better. Diggle doesn't know about Your Highness, but Diggle would much rather take a nap in his bed rather than on the stone steps in the Escher room."

Jareth took a moment to marvel at the courage of this little goblin and then smiled. "I see. That was very much appreciated, Diggle. You have my thanks."

"Diggle is very happy to help Your Highness," said Diggle, grinning stupidly.

"Ah, Diggle," said Jareth, remembering something and turning his eyes sharply at the goblin. "You said you got help. From where?"

"From the city," replied Diggle. "Diggle went all over the city and called a whole bunch of people that Your Highness needed help. Forgive Diggle, Your Highness, but Your Highness is much too big for Diggle to carry by himself."

Jareth's eyes suddenly flashed. "You mentioned my collapsing outside the walls of the castle!?"

"Yes," said Diggle.

Jareth cursed loudly and pounded his forehead with his fist. Diggle jumped about a foot in the air and nearly fell off the bed.

"Get out," said Jareth. His tone wasn't harsh, but there could be no denying that it was an order to be done at once. "Out. All of you out! I need time by myself. Out. Go on! Out."

The goblins obeyed quickly. When Jareth stopped clutching his chest and rubbed his temples instead. The pain in his chest had eased somewhat now, but he had a fresh new headache to deal with. This is exactly why he had to get do things such as collapsing within the sanctuary of his chambers. Goblins had big mouths. But the wind's was even bigger.

Jareth rose from his bed and walked over to the balcony. From this balcony, he had a perfect view of the labyrinth, from the gates to the city. He let his breath out slowly. Diggle, helpful though he had been, had just caused a very big problem for him. He hoped it would all be over when news of his condition reached the Silver Tower. The last thing he needed was _her_ on his case. He already had his hands full with another. Jareth closed his eyes, enraged with himself with the disaster he'd set up for himself.

He shouldn't have gone Aboveground. He shouldn't have gone to see Sarah. He knew he shouldn't have, but he was also glad that he had. If he hadn't, he might have been in a much less difficult situation, but then who knew what would have happened to Sarah. Jareth felt a stab of rage. That slime that had dared to touch his Sarah would never earn his forgiveness. Never. Not even if he threw himself in the way of the Cleaners to save Sarah's and Jareth's lives, he would still never be forgiven.

_Filth like that deserves worse than nightmares,_ Jareth thought, bitterly. _But I'm not really up for dragging humans Underground and throwing them into the Bog of Eternal Stench, now am I? Not that it hadn't been tempting after what Dirt or whatever his name had been had tried to do to Sarah. For that, he'll not be forgiven._

And then there was Sarah herself. Jareth let out another sigh. How beautiful she had been. There must have been some kind of festivity going on in the Aboveground because he'd never seen her dress like that. With her face painted and her wrists bejeweled, she'd been a vision. He'd been surprised at how she'd reacted to seeing him again. He thought she would attack him, accuse him of being back only for malicious reasons, or scold him for helping her in case she didn't really want it. But she had wanted his help, apparently. He'd been watching her for just a short time. He'd watched from his crystals, thinking that to be the safest way to see her without alarming her. Then he saw that Dirt person come on to her, _strike_ her, and Jareth had had enough. He couldn't _not_ have intervened.

Jareth's chest gave a warning throb at this point and he raised his hand to it again. Jareth scowled. He shouldn't have gone to her, but he just couldn't help it. He wanted, _needed_, to see her again. Once, just once, even if she didn't know he was there. Just like how he used to watch her. Quietly, from the shadows, giving no hint that he was present. That had been his intention, nothing more.

"I shouldn't have tried to kiss her," he said, bitterly to himself.

_"You wanted to go see her,"_ a voice suddenly said. _"It was a good thing you did, wasn't it? You're glad, aren't you? Aren't you?"_

Jareth rolled his eyes. "You aren't helping matters, Rin," he said, turning to see the slightly glowing figure of a little girl standing with him on the balcony. "I don't want Sarah involved in anything that is going on down here."

_"Why not!?"_ protested Rin. _"You never accept it when I try to help you. You wanted to see Sarah again, so I showed you the best time it was to go."_

"Yes, and that was a very nice gesture on your part," said Jareth. "But there are a great many things that you do not, can not, understand."

_"I would if you just tell me,"_ complained Rin. _"You don't talk to me so much anymore. I don't like it. You-you're mad at me, aren't you?"_ Rin's eyes, so like his, watered with tears. _"You're angry because Sarah got to the castle, aren't you? You don't like me anymore!"_

Jareth sighed yet again. He walked over to the figure, knelt down beside her and cupped her face in his hands. "Don't be ridiculous, Rin," he said, looking right into her face. "How could I not like you anymore? Sarah reaching the castle was her being very determined and persistent. You had nothing to do with it. Quite the contrary, you did very well."

Rin sniffed. _"Then why don't you talk to me so much anymore,"_ she asked. _"I wish you would talk to me again. I don't like it when you don't."_ she reached out her small hands and placed them on Jareth's cheeks, just like he was doing to her. _"Rin loves Jareth."_

"And Jareth loves Rin," said Jareth, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. "I didn't realize I was making you so sad, Rin. I'm sorry. There are things going on right now that you wouldn't be able to understand."

_"Like what?"_ Rin asked, letting go. _"I bet if you explained it to me, then I'd feel better. I wouldn't mind so much."_

Jareth sighed. He wished he didn't have to do this, but he knew he needed to soon anyway. He took his hands off of Rin's face and lowered his gaze. "Rin," he said, slowly. "You know what dying is, don't you?"

Rin lowered her gaze too, apparently thinking hard. _"Isn't it . . . isn't it where life is leaving a living thing?"_

"That's right, Rin," said Jareth. "Did the Prophet tell you that?"

_"No,"_ said Rin. _"I've seen it. It happens occasionally and I see it."_

"I see," said Jareth. "Do you know what happens when the dying process is complete?"

_"Yes,"_ said Rin, slowly. _"When your life is all gone, you are dead and can no longer participate in life. You pass. Why are you asking me this, Jareth?"_

Jareth forced a bitter smile. "Because it is happening as we speak. I'm dying, Rin."

Rin's eyes widened. She backed away, looking scared and hurt. _"Why?"_ she asked. It was a simple question, asked very simply, but it still pained him a great deal to hear it.

"It is happening because it is happening," said Jareth, with a slight shrug. "I could be on this balcony for years trying to explain it to you and I doubt you'd be able to digest it. You are such a difficult being, Rin. There are some things you can understand, but some that you just can't. This is one of the things you can't."

_**There's part of me, you'll never know**_

_**The only thing I'll never show**_

_"Why?"_ There it was again. So simple. So painful.

"It has to do with what I am," said Jareth. "I am the only Fae you have ever known, Rin, so the concept is hard for you to grasp."

Rin's eyes were watering again, her shoulders shook and her lips trembled. _"C-can I h-help?"_

"No, my precious thing. You can't."

_"C-can S-Sarah h-he-help?"_

"Don't start that," said Jareth, flatly. "Rin, I beg of you, leave Sarah out of this. I know you've been tampering with her dreams and I don't appreciate it. Let her be. I won't be seeing her again and now you know why. Let her go, Rin."

_"I DON'T WANNA!"_ Rin sobbed. _"I like Sarah! You like Sarah, too! Why can't you just like each other? I want you to stay and I want Sarah to come back. I . . . I . . . I choose you!"_ Rin threw herself at Jareth's feet, crying uncontrollably. All around them, dark clouds swirled around the labyrinth, the hedges and trees rustling in a fast wind. _"You remember my wish, right Jareth! Well, I choose Jareth and Sarah. I want you to be Rin's King and Queen, just like you should be. Th-that's what I want."_

Jareth had covered his face with his hands as Rin spoke. He looked up at the girl, feeling miserable. "I'm so sorry, Rin. I can't give you what you want. I can't bear to deny you. It is such a humble request on your part, but I can't do it. Forgive me."

Rin cried and cried. The storm billowing around them grew worse and worse as she sobbed. _"Y-you know I do,"_ she hiccupped, looking up at him with streaming eyes. _"R-Rin l-l-loves J-J-Ja-Jareth."_

_**Hopelessly,**_

_**I'll love you endlessly.**_

"Hush, now," said Jareth, looking around at the threatening storm. "Calm yourself, Rin. You'll scare everyone."

Rin, eyes still streaming furiously, chocked back her sobs and hiccupped quietly. The wind abated somewhat and the clouds turned from almost black to light gray.

"That's better," said Jareth. "Now, Rin, I can't give you what you want myself, but I will try to give you what you want."

_**Hopelessly,**_

_**I'll give you everything.**_

_"Really? H-how?"_ Rin asked.

"There is someone I know," said Jareth. "I've known her a very long time. I've been thinking of having her come here and taking my place."

Rin frowned. _"I don't know about that."_

"At least try," insisted Jareth. "She may not be Sarah, but she is very nice. I think you'll like her. Listen, Rin. There is somewhere I need to go before I die. I'll be leaving shortly before dawn to go there and I will not return. When my friend comes, I expect you to be a good girl and let her in."

Rin rubbed her eyes. _"If it's what Jareth wants, Rin will do it."_

_**But I won't give you up, I won't let you down**_

_**And I won't leave you fallen, if the moment ever comes.**_

"Thank you, Rin" said Jareth, taking hold of her face again. "I'll miss you dreadfully, Rin." Jareth saw fresh tears in Rin's eyes and planted a little kiss on her forehead. Rin gave a little sob and then vanished from between his cupped hands. Jareth heard a rumble of thunder above him.

Jareth stood up. Rin had taken the news just as he thought she would. Weither no not she'd keep her word about doing as he told her, he wasn't sure. But she needed to know what was happening to him, and he had to tell her. But he wouldn't tell the goblins anything. The fact that their king was dying would be far too much for their witless brains to cope with. Still, there was work to be done and he had to do it quickly. He'd start on his pilgrimage before _she_ tried to do anything to stop him. This was his choice. He felt no remorse.

Jareth left the balcony and left his room. He walked more carefully through the Escher room this time and entered his throne room. Most of the goblins who had been in his chambers had taken refuge in here and watched him carefully as he walked by.

"What are you all staring at?" Jareth snapped. "Don't just sit there gawking like some gaggle of gargoyles. I need some of you to go out and fetch me the dwarf that works for me. Tell him he is to come to the castle as fast as his pathetic feet can carry him or he'll suffer my . . . displeasure."

"We'll do it, Your Highness," said a few goblins, jumping up and down with their hands in the air. They hurried out the door, cackling darkly.

Jareth took his usual, lazy position in his throne and waited for Hoggle to come. How long had it been since he'd so much as looked at that dwarf? Not since right after Sarah left, he concluded. At that moment, his chest contracted very painfully and he screwed up his face against the terrible urge to cough. He couldn't go on like this, he knew it.

A few minutes later, the goblins returned with Hoggle in tow. Jareth eyed the little dwarf. He looked exactly the same. Same grubby brown skin, same overlarge nose, same clothes even. Nothing had changed in the dwarf.

"You, er, wanted to see me, Your Majesty?" Hoggle said very carefully, taking only brief, fleeting looks at Jareth.

"Yes," said Jareth. "Do you remember about that promise I made you, the monster, and Sir Didymus make to me, three years ago?"

"Y-yes," mumbled Hoggle.

"Have you kept to it?"

"Well, yes," said Hoggle. "To the best of my knowledge, yes."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Jareth. "Higgle . . ."

"Hoggle," Hoggle corrected him, quietly.

"Yes," Jareth waved his hand, impatiently. "I'm going to leave the labyrinth shortly before dawn. While I am away, I expect you to keep to the word you gave me. Understand?"

"Yes," said Hoggle.

"And will you pass that to the monster and Sir Didymus as well?"

"Uh, sure. Yeah, I can do that."

"Very good," said Jareth, tapping his riding crop against his boot. "Now, Hogsworth, while I am away there is a chance that your friend from three years ago might return to the labyrinth."

Hoggle looked up in surprise. "S-Sarah? She's coming back?"

"I said there was a chance she might," said Jareth, coolly. "You and she seem pretty close, so I leave a special job for you while I'm gone. If Sarah does come, you must do anything and everything in your power to make her go back to the Aboveground."

"Huh?"

"Tell her any story, feed her any lie, do whatever it takes," Jareth went on. "Just make sure she goes back home and stays there. Even if you have to chain her to her bedroom floor, do it."

Hoggle waited for Jareth to say something else, but he didn't. He simply put his hand over his face again. Just when Hoggle thought it safe to get up and start heading toward the door, Jareth called out, "Oh, yes, and Hoggle."

Hoggle turned around, looking warily at Jareth.

"If you do not do what I have said," said Jareth, now looking Hoggle right in the eye. "And if Sarah comes back to the Underground or worse if she goes _looking_ for me . . ." Hoggle braced himself. "I will not throw you into the Bog of Eternal Stench."

It seemed to take Hoggle a few minutes to figure out what Jareth had said. "You," he stammered. "You _won't_?"

"No," said Jareth, simply. "Nor will I lock you into an oubliette for the rest of your days."

"You won't?" Hoggle said again. "Well then, um, what _will_ you do?"

"To you? Nothing whatever," said Jareth, with a slight shrug. "I just want you to know that if she does come looking for me while I am away, any and all harm that befalls her while she is here will be utterly, completely, entirely," Jareth got up at this point and leered down at the cowering dwarf. "Absolutely, totally, and in all other ways possible, _your fault._"

Hoggle flinched at these last two words. Satisfied, Jareth sat back down in his throne. "That should be punishment enough for you, I think. Now, you can go."

Hoggle nearly fell over in his hast to obey.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

A few hours later, Jareth stepped out of the Goblin City. He took a moment to admire it before turning away. He'd miss the goblins and being their king. They might have not been the best company and were desperately dim, but he'd never failed to be amused by them. He knew they wouldn't take well to the idea of him dying. They'd probably kill themselves thinking about it too much. Jareth allowed himself a smile. Goblins where the only creatures he knew of that were in danger of dying from thinking too hard.

Jareth left the gates and navigated through the Yard of Shattered Dreams. He could feel the eyes of several Junk Ladies watching him as he trespassed on their lands. Junk Ladies were very, very possessive beings, but they knew better than to try anything on him. He was the one who gave them their home after all. He'd made a habit of collecting the remains of shattered dreams from the Aboveground simply as a hobby and set the Junk Ladies to live their so as to distract anyone who dared try to get to the Goblin City when they were not invited.

Jareth got through the Yard fairly quickly and headed right into the forest. This he'd planted himself and had given it to the then homeless Fiery race. As he marched through the woods, he thought he saw the glow of a bonfire in the distance and their voice's chanting happily.

"_Chilly down with the fire gang! Think small with the fire gang! Bang heads with the fire gang!"_

Jareth allowed himself a laugh. Apart from the goblins, the Fierys where truly the most entertaining creatures that dwelt in the labyrinth. He resisted the temptation to see what they were up to. He needed to leave quietly and quickly. He didn't want to answer any questions from any of the creatures. He found one of the doors and walked through.

"Where are you going so early in the day?" asked the Deaf Doorknocker as Jareth stepped through to the hedges. Jareth didn't answer him.

"If's nudda berry goob thyme fo a wok," commented the Dumb Doorknocker.

"What?" asked the Deaf Doorknocker.

"I shed dat e waven't a goob thyme fo a wok," repeated the Dumb Doorknocker.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

"I'B NUD TAWKING WHIFF MY MUFF FOO!"

Jareth ignored the Doorknockers and proceeded through the hedges. He was vaguely aware that it seemed harder than usual to navigate through the maze. Nevertheless, he managed to find the passage to the tunnels, past the false alarms and through one of the two doors.

"You're up early, Majesty," said one of the guards as Jareth entered the sandstone passage.

"Ralph, Alph," said Jareth, nodding to the two guards. "Been keeping well, I hope."

"Well as can be expected," replied Alph's bottom head. All four of the heads laughed. "Just standing here and all."

"Well, keep up the good work," said Jareth lightly before heading out into the passages.

This took even longer than the hedges. Once, to Jareth's surprise, he found himself facing a dead end. He grinned at the stone wall before him. He knew what was going on.

_**It's plain to see, it's trying to speak**_

Jareth reached for one of the bricks and pulled. The wall swung forward like a door.

"Nice try, Rin."

Jareth made his way into the Endless Corridor and started looking for the door that would lead him outside. As he walked, his mind turned to Sarah. In that one moment when he was about to cover her lips with his, he'd felt the pain that had been nagging in his chest subside. But he wouldn't allow it. Sarah had only allowed him to touch her out of gratitude for saving her from that Dirt character. If he'd kissed her, then he might not have been able to stop himself from doing more. From getting on his knees and begging her outright to love him back, to spear him. He was afraid of dying. He didn't want to. He didn't want to leave the labyrinth, and Sarah, behind. But he knew it would be no good. Sarah didn't love him back and that was that. He would bury his love for her in the back of his mind as he died. He'd put away all images and fantasies of a life with her.

_**Cherished dreams, forever asleep**_

Jareth found the gate and walked through. Hoggle wasn't anywhere to be seen. He was probably still asleep. Jareth was glad that there weren't any fairies there to bother him. His mind was still on the girl who'd single-handedly defeated him and yet he still loved her.

_**Hopelessly**_

_**I'll love you endlessly.**_

Sarah wouldn't miss him. Only the Underground would miss him. Only Rin would know what really became of him. The goblins and other creatures would simply think he'd left and didn't come back. Only Rin would have to mourn. Sarah had a chance to move on, to love another, to be free. If he still had time to live, he'd have hated the idea of Sarah falling in love with another, but now he didn't mind. He wouldn't have to think about her in the arms of another man while he was dead. He wouldn't have to think of anything anymore.

_**Hopelessly**_

_**I'll give you everything.**_

He would have given her whatever she wanted. Her smile, her laugh, was all he needed in return. He walked up the hill and gazed at his beloved creation. How he would miss it in the short time he had left. Jareth's chest suddenly pulsed, causing him to writhe slightly in pain. He coughed heavily into his gloved hand, feeling warm blood spraying into it.

_By the heavens, Sarah,_ Jareth thought, fighting to keep hold of himself. _I'm afraid._

_**But I won't give you up,**_

_**I won't let you down,**_

_**And I won't leave you fallen**_

Jareth tried to push through the pain. He had to start moving. The sun was rising and he needed to get going. He thought about Sarah to help him escape his agony. How beautiful she had been. How much she'd grown in only three years. Wondering how she might have reacted if he really had kissed her.

The ache subsided. Jareth was able to move again, he hurried onward, cleaning off his bloody glove with a sample of magic. He walked on toward the end of his life, his only regret was that he hadn't shown Sarah just how much she meant to him.

_**But the moment never comes**_

**Lyrics from "Endlessly" by Muse. Selected lyrics from "Chilly Down" by David Bowie.**

**Ying-Fa: Wow. I'm angsty! The use of this song is a special gift to my dear friend Yang-chan. She's wanted to see it used in a Labyrinth fic, but I've yet to find one, so, this is for you Mika-chan! We're jumping back to Sarah in the next chapter. I'll use more songs later too. Please keep loving me and leaving reviews. Thank you very much! **


	10. Life I Chose For Me

**Ying-Fa: Yes, I'm back, back, back, back again! I had no choice. So many of you reviewed saying scary things to me. I kinda deserved it though. Here is the next chapter for you all. Oh, and yes, Kore-of-Myth, I am of the female gender. Could you not tell from all the angsty romance in this story?**

"I just don't like what I'm seeing," sighed Rodger, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Maybe if it was two doors and only one guard . . ."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Rodger!" complained Gus. "Not another change."

"Yes, well, the two guards are too confusing," said Rodger, simply. "That's how the riddle goes, you know the one."

Sarah was hardly paying attention. It was the first play practice since she'd seen the Goblin King again and then dreamt of him falling down the stairs of the Escher room. She was in costume and practicing the scene where the two double-headed guards had showed her two doors. One leading to the castle and one to certain death.

"Hey, has anyone seen Dirk?" asked Charity, a girl working in the crew. Sarah's shoulder twitched and her eyes grew suddenly dark.

"I think he stayed home sick today," replied Mindy. "I heard that he got totally wasted at Shawna's party on Friday and he hasn't been right all week."

"But we need him," complained Charity. "He's in charge of the design for the castle. We don't know if we should paint yet or not."

"Leave the castle for another day," said Rodger, simply. "Get to work on the hedges. I noticed those aren't looking that far along yet. Who's in charge of the hedges again?"

"Mary and Alice," replied Charity.

"Okay, everyone who is working on the castle, go and help Mary and Alice with the hedges," Rodger instructed. "Okay, Sarah, I want to go over that scene again."

Sarah did as she was told. For the first time, she really had to work to act. She wasn't at all in the mood for Rodger butchering the story or people complaining. She wished she'd stayed home sick too. It would have been easy to fool Irene and her father. Both of them had been asking her again and again what was bothering her. Irene had even told Sarah she looked a little pale. Sarah had politely told them that there was nothing wrong, that she was fine, that the party had been a total bust and she was only sleeping poorly because she had been drinking too much caffeinated soda recently.

What else could she have said? That she'd been attacked by a creep at school, was rescued by a fantastic king who nearly kissed her, then went home only to dream of the same king coughing blood and falling down an endless flight of stairs? If she said that, Irene wouldn't hesitate for a moment in calling the men in white coats. Sarah looked gloomily around. She wondered where Mike was. She could talk to Mike without feeling stupid or in danger of being committed. He was sensitive and nice, sweet and a good listener.

_Mike's a really nice guy,_ Sarah thought. _I wouldn't date him thought. I'm not interested in dating him. It's not that there is anything wrong with him. Quite the contrary, I can't seem to find anything wrong with him. I just want someone to be nice to me. I want a nice friend to talk to, that's all._

"Alright, that's a wrap, I think," said Rodger. "Why don't we all start heading home? I wanna have another look at this script."

"Um, Rodger," Sarah said as the rest of the cast spilled into their respective bathrooms to change and wash off their stage make-up. "Where's Mike?"

"Mike?" Rodger looked distracted. "Um, he left early. He said there was something going on with his mom and he had to head out."

"I see," said Sarah gloomily. She left Rodger and changed back into her day clothes. She took a cotton ball dripping with make-up remover and whipped her face clean. She wondered what she would have said to Mike if he had been there. Certainly not the truth, but something discreet that resembled the truth but was more ground based. Sarah looked down at her copy of the script. She'd written all over it, telling herself what to do and when. Sarah stared at the title, thinking almost longingly of the real place.

_Goblin King,_ Sarah thought, heavily. _What is happening? Is this some kind of trick on your part or is there something really going on? Why am I having all these dreams? Why did you come to me?_

Sarah stared at the words **The Labyrinth** that was printed at the very top of the script. "Oh, come on!" she wailed, furiously at the title. "Give me a sign already!" Sarah banged her fist on the table, upsetting the bottle of make-up remover so that it spilled on her script.

"Oh, great!" Sarah snapped, pulling her script away from the flow of the remover. "Just what I . . ."

Sarah looked at the script. The title had become smudged so that she could only read part of it. Her heart froze. What did that mean? She was so wrapped up, she accidentally put her hand into a small container of base. She pulled her hand out with a cry of disgust when she looked down at the guilty container. It was that color again. That sandy brown color that Sarah knew she'd seen before. The one she'd painted, the one she . . .

Then it hit her. It hit her so hard she clapped a hand to her forehead. She looked down at the script again and read all that was left of the title, understanding completely.

**T e L rin h.**

**R-I-N.**

Sarah dashed out of the school. If anyone had tried to stop her, she was utterly deaf to them. She hurried home, running as fast as her legs could carry her. She knew now. She completely understood. How she understood was still a mystery to her, but she wasn't about to rain on her own parade. It made sense to her now, it all made sense. She knew what she wanted to do. What she had to do in order to get her answers.

Sarah hurried inside her house, only vaguely acknowledging her stepmother by telling her that she was tired and was going to take a nap in her room, ran upstairs and slammed her door shut. Now that she was alone, Sarah didn't know what to do. What did she have to say? She didn't dare make a wish. She'd have to try something else.

"R-Rin?" Sarah called to her room in general. "Rin? Can you hear me? It's Sarah. Rin, are you there?"

Nothing happened. Feeling defeated, Sarah walked over to her bed and collapsed onto it. Then an unexpected drowsiness swept over her. Before she could even marvel at her sudden urge to sleep, she caved into the desire and fell into tempting darkness.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_"Rin? Rin?" Sarah called, recognizing the swirling white nothingness around her. "Are you there?"_

_"S-Sarah?"_

_Sarah found her almost at once. The sweet little girl from her dreams. Rin hurried over to Sarah, looking happy._

_"Sarah, you found me," she said, smiling cutely up at her._

_"Rin," said Sarah, relieved. "Rin, I need to talk to you."_

_"Okay," said Rin simply, folding her hands and looking expectantly up at Sarah._

_Sarah knelt down so that she and Rin where at eye level. "I think I know what you are now," she said. "You are the labyrinth. Aren't you?"_

_Rin nodded solemnly. "I am the manifestation of the magic that runs within the walls of the labyrinth. I am its very soul."_

_"Soul?"_

_"That's how Jareth explained it to me," Rin said, looking sad. "Jareth made me, you know. He built the labyrinth himself. It took him a whole one hundred years to do it, but he did."_

_"A hundred years?"_

_"Don't be so alarmed," said Rin. "Despite how he may appear to you, he is over fifteen hundred years old."_

_"How is that possible," said Sarah, amazed._

_"It is who he is," Rin explained. "Jareth belongs to a powerful, magical race known as the Fae. The Fae were the fairest, strongest, wisest, and most powerfully magical of all the creatures in the Underground. They were the only ones with the power to travel back and forth among the two worlds and mingle with humans."_

_"What do you mean they were?" Sarah asked._

_Rin hung her head. "That is a long and particularly ugly story."_

_"I still want to hear it," Sarah insisted._

_"O-okay," said Rin. "Mind you, this happened long before my creation and Jareth was born near the end of it all, so my information is limited. I only know what he knows and he knows only what he learned from others."_

_"I'm still willing to hear," Sarah prompted._

_"Very well," said Rin. "The Fae were perhaps the most civilized of all the Underground beings, much like you humans are in the Aboveground. They built and learned and expanded and grew and were very prosperous. There were many different clans and tribes of Fae and from the beginnings of the Underground, there was happiness. Fae are immortal, Sarah. Once they reach a certain age, they stop growing and aging altogether. They never grow old or die of old age."_

_"Really?" Sarah was amazed. "But, then, what happened to them?"_

_"Immortal is not the same as invincible," said Rin, hanging her head. "Like you humans, their bodies are fragile. Weapons can kill them just like they would kill anyone else. So, many years ago, something happened to cause strife to exist among the Fae tribes. You know how things like conflict start, I'm sure. At first, it was only a spark of unhappiness, but it quickly grew into a roaring fire of hatred. Then the war started. A war that lasted an entire age. It is known in the Underground as the Age of Lovely Blood."_

_"Lovely Blood?"_

_"Yes. To many of the minor creatures that live in the Underground, the Fae were referred to as The Lovely Ones. The onslaught was endless. Rage was everywhere. Panic. Confusion. Separation. Death. Decay. Everywhere was covered in horror. Until, at the end of the age, the fires cooled into embers and eventually died. But, by then, the death toll had mounted so badly that the Fae race had diminished into almost nothing. There are still only very few of them left."_

_Sarah let out a long, pitying breath. "That is so horrible."_

_"I know," said Rin, pouting. "But Jareth escaped the onslaught and was raised by some of the survivors. Eventually, he became Goblin King and built me. That is all I know."_

_"Rin," said Sarah. "About the Goblin King. What's wrong with him? Is he okay?"_

_Rin's eyes filled with tears again. "No," she sobbed. "He's not okay. He'll never be okay again. Sarah, he says . . . he says that he . . . he won't last much longer."_

_"Won't last!?"_

_"Y-yes," choked Rin. "He said he's not coming back. Sarah, I can't do anything to help him, but I think you can."_

_"Me? Why me?"_

_"Because he likes you," said Rin, simply. "He thinks about you constantly. I know you can do something to help him. Sarah, come back. All you have to do is say that you want to go to Jareth and I'll be able to bring you myself. Please, Sarah, say the words. Come back to the Underground. You have to save Jareth, you have to!"_

_Sarah stared at the desperate little girl and felt a wave of maternal compassion, yet also a terrible rush of doubt._

_"Rin. If it is as bad as you say it is, Rin. I don't think there is anything I can do. I don't think I can."_

_Rin looked up at Sarah imploringly. "Please, Sarah, please! There might not be much time!"_

_"I don't know, Rin," said Sarah, tearing her gaze away from those mismatched eyes. "I just don't know if I can do it, Rin. There is so much going on for me in the Aboveground right now. I can't just abandon it all. Please, try to understand."_

_Sarah couldn't bring herself to look back at Rin. But, after a moment she felt the soul of the labyrinth stand up on her tiptoes and give Sarah a quick kiss on the cheek._

_"I won't give up on Sarah," she said, simply. "I chose Sarah and Jareth and I won't give that up. Take whatever time you need, but please hurry. I can wait, but Jareth can't. Think of Jareth, Sarah. Think of what you really, really want. Say the words and I'll come running. Don't say the words, Jareth is really gone forever. Consider that, Sarah."_

Sarah woke up suddenly. This time, she cried. She couldn't help or stop it. She buried her face in her pillow to muffle the sounds of her misery and just let loose. For what felt like hours she just lay on her bed, crying her heart out. She hardly even noticed when her bedroom door opened.

"Sawah? Sawah, why awe you cwying?"

"T-Toby?" Sarah hiccupped, lifting her face out of her pillow. The toddler was peering into her room. He shuffled inside and walked over to her bed.

"Why awe you cwying, Sawah?" he asked, looking up at her with concern. "Why awe you sad?"

Sarah let out a fresh wail and embraced her little brother. "I don't know!" she admitted, hugging him tightly. "I r-really don't know, Toby. I-I-I just need to cry for aw-while. I just really need to cry for a bit."

Toby, though obviously confused, returned his sister's embrace. "Okay," he said. "I'll stay wight here until Sawah doesn't feel so sad."

Sarah sobbed gratefully into Toby's little shoulder and that was how they spent the next hour or so. Simply sitting there together, hugging and crying.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Jareth let out a groan of pain and misery as he slumped to the ground. After traveling through a very empty wasteland, he'd finally found a small, dead tree. Death creeping up on him and having already exhausted most of his strength, Jareth took advantage of the shade and an excuse to sit. He still had a way to go.

After taking a few relaxing breaths, Jareth conjured up one of his crystals, gave it a little flick, and it turned instantly into a flask of cold water which he took a long, grateful drink from. He was so glad his oncoming death hadn't stopped him from using magic just yet. It made this journey a lot easier for him. As Jareth started to feel the benefits of his short break, he suddenly felt something odd going on behind him. He looked around. The tree that was so generously providing him with shade was slowly coming back to life. Its distorted brown bark suddenly looked lush and health, the branches started to sprout leaves again. Jareth grinned and let out a small laugh.

"I knew I'd have to deal with you two before too long," he said. "I had hoped I would reach my destination before then, though."

He turned to smile at the young woman standing not far from him. "It has been quite some time, hasn't it, Ena?"

"Quite some time, yes," said Ena, walking over to him. "You've completed your aging, I see."

"Indeed," said Jareth, with a small nod. "I forgot I was still growing when I left the Silver Tower. You look the same, as always."

"Jareth," said Ena. "The wind has told me everything."

"I'll bet it has," said Jareth, taking another drink of water. "The pesky wind can't help but get involved in the affairs of others, can it?"

"Where are you going, Jareth?" Ena asked.

"You know very well where I'm going," said Jareth. "If the wind has told you everything, then of course you know."

Ena sighed. "I know you are ill, Jareth. But it can be helped if . . ."

Jareth threw Ena a sharp look. "No it can't. You can't do anything about it and nor can Limstella. That's why you're here, I assume. She sent you, as usual."

"Actually," Ena looked very uncomfortable. "No, she didn't. I-I came here on my own accord. I am here for my own reasons."

Jareth looked very surprised for a moment then he laughed and brushed Ena's chin with his knuckle. "Ah, my dear Ena. You _do_ have a rebellious streak in you after all."

"If I do than it is nowhere near as profound as yours, Jareth," said Ena, looking a little embarrassed. "Jareth, please, you needn't do this."

"What else am I supposed to do?" said Jareth. "When a Fae chooses to die or has death coming for them, it is tradition for them to set out and spend what remains of their lives in the Shadow Temple. That is my intention."

"If you step into the Shadow Temple, I will not be able to help you," said Ena, looking sad. "Please, I am asking you to let me help you. I will find a way to help you get healthy again. The Underground isn't ready to lose you."

"You know I can't accept your help," said Jareth. "Firstly, it won't do any good. Secondly, I know that everything you try to do you will only do with Limstella's permission."

"But must you really deny her help?" Ena insisted. "Jareth if you would . . ."

"The answer is no, Ena," said Jareth, flatly. "I will not go to Limstella. I thought I made my feelings for her perfectly clear when I left."

"Just trying to help," said Ena, looking defeated and sad.

Jareth sighed. "I was hoping to speak to you alone, though," he said.

"Why?"

"When I pass, the labyrinth will be without a ruler," Jareth told her. "Those that dwell within it will be fine on their own for a time, but the odds are that that won't last long. So, I would like to give it all to you."

Ena gaped at him. "Me? Jareth, surely not."

"Why not?" Jareth asked simply.

"But, Jareth," Ena was clearly flustered. "I'm useless. Unneeded. Why on earth would you give it to me?"

"You are from a tribe of Fae with the gift of nature speaking," said Jareth, calmly. "You are far from useless. If you ruled over the labyrinth, I believe that you would treat its inhabitants with goodness and they would admire that about you. And if not you, then who? I don't have enough time to go scavenging around what remains of the Fae to find someone. I'd rather have it that someone I know and trust is taking care of things. So, again, if not you then who? Limstella?! Why in all the Underground would I trust my beloved labyrinth to someone who would love nothing more than to tear it down, brick by brick?"

The two were silent for a while. Finally, Ena said, softly, "Are you truly in love with a human?"

"Oh, now why would that bother you?" Jareth asked, eyeing her carefully.

Ena hung her head. "I'm just afraid. Limstella will not take to your decision well, you know that. I . . . I just wondered that if the illness was simply something that would pass, she would get over it and there would still be time to save you. If you are truly in love with a human, then there really isn't anything I can do."

Jareth's smile returned. "Sometimes I think your heart is far too big for the rest of you, Ena," he said, simply. "That is something I have always loved about you. True, I do not feel for you as I do for the girl who has rejected my affections, but if there is anyone I would proclaim to be my sister, that would most certainly be you."

Ena smiled. "And I would be most proud to call you my brother. So, there is a human girl?"

"Oh yes."

"What is she like?"

"Determined, resourceful, optimistic, and simply radiant."

"Can I ask her name?"

Jareth laughed. "Rebellious streak aside, I know that you are still Limstella's lapdog in many ways, Ena. I'm sure that this entire conversation will be known to her the moment you get back. So, for that reason, I'll keep that little bit of information to myself, thank you."

Jareth stood up, a bit of his strength returned. "Go to the labyrinth, Ena. Rule over at its new Queen and you will finally know the delicious taste of freedom as I have. Trust me, dear sister; it is a life worth living. You will find peace within its walls and among its creatures. Go there, tell them I sent you and it should open up for you. Let the goblins know that I assigned you as their Queen and they should simply do as you say. They are very good at simply accepting things, you'll find."

Ena nodded and stood up. Jareth turned for one direction and she headed in the opposite direction.

"Farewell, Jareth."

"Farewell, Ena."

The two Fae went their separate ways. Ena turned after a moment and saw that Jareth had already disappeared from view. She took a moment to shed a few tears of mourning, then headed back to the Silver Tower to tell Limstella everything Jareth had said, just as Jareth knew she would.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah couldn't bring herself to go to play practice. She called Rodger's house and told him that she had a nasty case of stomach flu and didn't think it a good idea to come to practice, lest she throw up all over everyone.

"Okay, then," said Rodger, sounding disappointed and a little bitter. "Just promise me you'll feel better in time for tomorrow's practice."

"You bet," said Sarah in a fake, weak voice as she hung up the phone. But she couldn't bear to hang around her house with Irene, so she told Irene that she was still going to practice, but headed off to the park instead.

She hadn't been to this park in quite some time. She used to dress up and recite lines from _The Labyrinth_ in this park and sometimes took Toby there to play with Merlin. Sarah felt some peace here. She didn't feel so boxed in. So haunted by Rin begging Sarah to go to the Goblin King.

_It isn't that I don't want to help him,_ Sarah told herself. _It's just that I can't do anything for him. How could I help? What on earth could I do? We were enemies. He hates me, doesn't he? Rin said he liked me, but how on earth could he? Do I hate him? No. But if I go back, then I don't know what would happen. I may never find my way back to this place. The Aboveground is where I'm meant to be, isn't it? I was born here, my family is here, and so are my friends. This is my . . . my . . ._

"Sarah? That you?"

Sarah looked up and nearly jumped off the bench she was sitting on. It was Mike. He was walking over to Sarah, looking a little concerned.

"You alright?" he asked, coming over to sit next to her.

"Oh, Mike," Sarah said, suddenly horrified. "Don't tell Rodger. He thinks I'm at home with stomach flu, but the truth is I'm skipping practice today."

Mike laughed good naturedly. "I know what that's like," he said, grinning. "I skipped out on practice the other day. I told Rodger that my mum twisted her ankle and I had to take her to the hospital to get looked at, seeing as me dad is at work. Won't stop him from having a go at me for being late for practice to day though."

"That was a lie? About your mom being hurt?" Sarah asked, remembering Rodger saying something about Mike's mom.

"Mostly," said Mike. "Me mum did give her ankle a nasty twist the other day, but there's no way I'd be able to take her to the hospital."

"Why not?"

"Well, she's in Australia, isn't she?" said Mike with a smile.

"Your mother is still in Australia?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, you don't want me to go on about that," said Mike, looking wary. "That is one long story."

"No, go on," Sarah insisted. "I'm interested. Why did you come to America without your mom? Are she and your dad divorced?"

Mike sighed. "Actually, no. Me mum and dad weren't divorced. In fact, they were never married to begin with."

Sarah stared at him. Mike smiled sheepishly.

"Mum and Dad both come from wealthy backgrounds," Mike explained. "They met on a cruise line, actually. They hung out togetha throughout the whole cruise. They both talk about it like it was the best time of their lives. I imagine it would be grand. Sailing the sparklin' seas with the one you love at your side. Perfect setting, you know?"

Sarah smiled. That did, indeed, sound very nice.

"But, sadly, then came little ol' me," said Mike, looking a little guilty. "Me mum's native Australian, you know, but Dad, he's American. Now, they told both their families that they were, indeed, in love and wanted to marry, but both of their families said no."

"No? Why not?" Sarah said, sounding shocked.

"Mum's an only child," Mike explained. "And she was supposed to marry another man. Dad's family, well, they're just proud is all. Didn't want their son's life ruined with a foreign wife and a wedlock born child, now did they?"

"That's not fair!" Sarah cried before she could stop herself. Mike shrugged.

"Life ain't fair," he said, simply. "Anyone who says otherwise is selling ya something, isn't he?

"So, Mum and Dad went back to their respective homes. They tried writing, but their families put a stop to it. Mum never married that man, so you know. Didn't like seeing her with another man's child, now did he? So, I came along and Mum raised me in Australia and Dad, well, I was allowed to write to him when I got older, but Mum wasn't allowed to contact him. For my whole childhood, my dad was just a sheet of paper that came in the post every month or so.

"Then, Dad's parent's passed on and he inherited the family business. After a few years, he finally got enough money for a flight from Australia to America. Mum's parents wouldn't let her go, but they said I could go. I remember I was around ten when I flew to America, all on my own, to spend the whole summer with my dad. I was so nervous. I kept wondering if he would like me or not. I was terrified outta me brain."

Sarah listened to Mike, not wanting to interrupt. This story about his life was soothing for her to hear. It gave her some kind of hope.

"But then I got to the airport and I met Dad for the first time. It was a little awkward at first, as you can imagine. But then he gives me this smile and says that I looked just like my mum, then he said welcome to the U.S. and he was really looking forward to gettin' to know me. After that, I wasn't afraid anymore. I spent three whole months in America, an entire summer. Wherever we wanted to go, we went. If I wanted something, he'd get it for me. I spent all sorts of time with him. He'd drop anything to play with me or take me somewhere."

Mike leaned his head back and smiled at the sky. "It was the best. It was so different from Australia, but it didn't bother me. The family I'd always known may have been far along with my friends, but I felt so comfortable here. That was easily the best summer I ever had. Spending time with Dad, I got to know him. He wasn't a piece of paper anymore, he was there. Solidly, humanely there. I got to love him, like a kid should love his dad. When I told him that, he gives me this smile and says he loved me back. There's no greater feelin' than that, I'll tell ya now.

"So, summer ends and I need to get back to Mum in Australia. I almost don't wanna go back, but Dad says to me, he says 'If you need anythin', give me a shout and I'll come running'. So, I go back to Australia and realize that I'm not as pleased to be back as I should. I try and tell meself, 'this is me home, where I really belong', but it's no good. Australia didn't feel like home to me anymore. America felt like home. It was practically a different world, but I never felt so comfortable in Australia than I did that summer in America. So, when it comes time for high school, I tell me mum, I say 'I wanna go to America again. I wanna go to high school in America and live with Dad.' She looks at me, all understanding and says, 'Mike, I'll send you to high school in America.' And so, here I am."

Mike closed his eyes and smiled serenely. "Worlds different from all I've ever known, and yet this is me true home. Where I belong."

Mike looked back and Sarah and received a shock. Tears were falling down her face and her hands were clasped over her mouth.

**I'm staring out into the night,**

**Trying to hide the pain**

"Sarah! Whoa! Sarah, are you alright?" Mike said, genuinely worried and confused. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you sad or anything."

"It . . . it isn't that, Mike," sobbed Sarah. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying. That is a wonderful story. It's just . . . you helped me to realize something. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Without another word, Sarah stood up and left the park, and Mike, behind.

**I'm going to the place where love**

**And feeling good don't ever cost a thing**

**And the pain you feel's **

**A different kind of pain**

Sarah knew what she wanted to do. She couldn't deny it any more. She knew where she wanted to go. She couldn't honestly call the Aboveground her home, not when she knew there was something so much greater, so much more to her. A place where she loved.

**I'm going home**

**To the place where I belong**

**And where your love has always been enough for me**

Sarah hurried down the streets. There would be no more denial. She knew where she really belonged. Where she'd been longing to return for so long. She tried burying how she felt, but it was really no use. If she stayed here, she'd be miserable. Haunted by the memory of something better that was out there for her.

**I'm not running from,**

**No I think you've got me all wrong**

**I don't regret this life I chose for me**

She ran inside. Toby and Irene were out grocery shopping. She passed a picture of the four of them as she hurried up to her room. She would miss her family, but there was somewhere more important for her to be. This was no longer home to her. Somewhere, someone needed her, and she was going to help. She couldn't stay here with these same old people who would never really be enough for her.

**But these places and these faces **

**Are getting old**

Sarah changed into her comfortable shoes and her best outfit for traveling. White blouse, similar to her old one, but not so billowy, her best pair of jeans and she tied her hair back in a braid to keep it out of her eyes. Then, alone in her room, she closed her eyes and spoke aloud.

"Rin. I've come to a decision. I wish I can return to the Underground so that I may find the Goblin King."

From within the darkness of the inside of her eyelids, she heard a little girl's voice speak.

_"Thank heavens. Welcome back, Sarah."_

**So I'm going home**

**Selected lyrics from "Home" by Daughtry**

**Ying-Fa: Yay! I'm so proud! You were able to guess who Rin was without me telling you! Good job. From here, it is all Underground. To make things clear, Ena and Jareth are NOT romantically involved. Ever. Their relationship is clearly brother/sister sibling love (not incest!) but they aren't really brother and sister. This will be explained later. Not in the next chapter, just later. Anyway, please leave me long, healthy reviews and I'll be back before you know it! Love, love!**


	11. Back Down In The Underground

**Ying-Fa: Here I am, all fired up and ready to go! Sorry, this took a little longer than usual. I normally post my chapters once I'm finished with them and I've been busy. Gee, I hate college, and Mondays, and feeding myself (no, wait, I do like that last one). Over ten chapters! Yay! Over a hundred reviews! Double yay!**

Sarah opened her eyes. It looked just like it had when she started last time. The labyrinth stretched out before her, from the gates to the castle, all of it just has it had been when she left. She was standing right in front of the gates where she'd met Hoggle, but he wasn't there now. Sarah looked around for the door into the labyrinth before she heard Rin's voice.

_"Sarah, there isn't much time. You'll have to start right away."_

"Rin?" Sarah asked, looking around. "Where are you?"

_"I'm right in front of you,"_ came Rin's reply. _"I _am_ the labyrinth, remember?"_

"Oh, that's right," said Sarah. "I forgot. Um, am I supposed to go back inside?"

_"No, Jareth left, remember?"_ Rin replied. _"He's not here. You'd just waste precious time going to the castle."_

"But, Rin," said Sarah, feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed at being back in the Underground. "If the Goblin King's left, how am I supposed to find him? To meet with him?"

_"I can show you the way,"_ Rin said. _"I can feel his magic still lingering in the air. I'll sense it and I'll tell you the way to go."_

"You can sense his magic?" asked Sarah.

_"Of course," _said Rin. _"You're forgetting who I am, again. The manifestation of magic. Jareth's magic. I can feel it because it is a part of me just as much as it is a part of him. But I still need you to go for me. It's not like I can just pick myself up and go, can I?"_

"But, how am I supposed to know where to go if you can't come too," Sarah was now starting to feel desperate and nervous.

_"You'll just have to carry me with you,"_ Rin said, as if she was asking Sarah to hold her hand while crossing the street.

"Rin, how on earth am I supposed to carry . . .?"

_"Not ALL of me,"_ said Rin, sounding as anxious as Sarah. _"Look down at your feet."_

Sarah looked down. Sitting down at her feet was a small, black drawstring pouch with a long string, apparently intended to be worn around the neck, which certainly hadn't been there a second ago. Sarah picked up the bag and opened it. It was completely empty.

_"Take a handful of soil, a pebble, a branch, and one of the white flowers that grow on the outside of the wall and put them in the pouch,"_ Rin instructed. Sarah bent down and scooped a handful of dry soil from the ground and put in the pouch along with a small pebble. She then reached the plants that grew on the outer walls, broke off a twig and one of the sparkling white flowers and added them in the pouch as well, then placed the pouch around her neck.

"What did that do?" Sarah asked.

_"There,"_ said Rin, and Sarah was surprised that she could suddenly hear her voice much clearer now. _"Now you have a small bit of me to take with you. Now, in the Aboveground, I could only contact you from within your dreams, but here I have access to your thoughts while you're awake too. Just hold the bag tightly in both hands and I'll be able to hear your thoughts and talk back. Mind you, you're the only one who can hear me. Nobody else will be able to hear my voice."_

"Who else would there be?" Sarah asked.

Sarah heard Rin's sweet laughter in reply. _"Don't be silly, Sarah. You didn't really think I'd let you go off into the depths of the Underground all alone, did you? Just wait right were you are. They're coming right now."_

As Rin's voice faded from Sarah's head, a new sound reached her ears. A shuffling, grumbling noise.

". . . not even anything to do, and he says I'm slacking. Lousy Jareth, he just likes making things hard for me, don't he?"

"Hoggle?" Sarah called out.

And there he was. Exactly the same as when they had said goodbye three years ago. Hobbling, grumbling, and sour-faced, Hoggle limped into sight looking bad tempered, but he paused when he heard someone calling his name. Hoggle turned and saw Sarah. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"S-Sarah!?"

"Hoggle!"

Sarah ran over to the dwarf and embraced him. The dwarf seemed to be in shock. He dangled limply in Sarah's arms as if not entirely sure this was real.

"Oh, Hoggle!" Sarah said, her eyes tearing with happiness as she broke away from her old friend. "I've missed you so much. Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't call you in so long."

"S-Sarah?" Hoggle said, weakly. "T-that's really you, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," said Sarah, smiling down at Hoggle's reaction. "I've really missed you."

"M-missed you too, Sarah," said Hoggle, but there was something strange about his tone. "Um, er, just what are you doing back here, Sarah? Don't tell me Jareth's gone and done something again."

"Oh, no," said Sarah. "It's not anything he's done, it the Goblin King himself. I've come to see him. I-I think something isn't right with him and I need to take care of it."

"Really?" said Hoggle, looking surprised. His eyes suddenly went upward for a few seconds, apparently thinking hard. "What's it about Jareth that you need to talk to him about? Maybe I can answer for him. Who knows what's going on in the labyrinth better than little, ol' Hoggle after all? Heh heh."

"That's nice of you, Hoggle," said Sarah. "But I really have to talk to the Goblin King in person and he's not here anymore and I have to go find him."

Hoggle looked very surprised. "How did you know Jareth left?"

"I have my ways," she said, winking. Hoggle wasn't amused.

"Well, whoever it was, they're pulling your leg," said Hoggle, waving his hand. "There ain't nothing wrong with Jareth. Sure, he left the labyrinth, but he'll be back."

"Hoggle, I don't think that's the case," said Sarah.

"Of course it's the case," said Hoggle, laughing in a very suspicious way and taking hold of Sarah's hand. "He's just stepped out for a walk. He'll be back before you know it. There's nothing to be worried about, Sarah. Honestly, don't bother yourself over it. Now, why don't we take a nice little trip back to your place, shall we? It has been three years, after all. We can sit down, have a nice chat back in that room of yours, have a nice cup of tea, and . . ."

Before Hoggle could finish, the door to the labyrinth suddenly appeared and opened. Two figures exited from within the depths of the labyrinth and Sarah cried out in delight when she figured out who it was.

"Ludo! Sir Didymus!"

"My lady?" said Sir Didymus, who was sitting astride his sheep dog steed, Ambrosius. "My lady! It is thee! Oh, welcome back! Welcome back!"

"Sawah? Sawah back!" cried Ludo, his large face pulling into a large smile. Sarah ran over and embraced them both as she had done to Hoggle. Nobody noticed Hoggle himself looking irritable and uncomfortable.

"My lady," said Sir Didymus, his arms open wide in greeting. "What brings you to this place? It has been three years since last we met. How have you been keeping?"

"Alright, thanks Didymus," said Sarah. "I'm here looking for the Goblin King, actually."

"Egad!" cried Didymus. "Don't tell me His Majesty has gone and stolen something else from you, my lady. If he has, I shall fight with all my strength to retrieve it for you. Even if it means facing the wicked hand of death, I shall aid you in any way possible."

"Thanks," said Sarah, smiling. Sir Didymus hadn't changed one bit. "But, actually, I just want to talk to him. To make sure he's alright. I've heard he's sick and I came here to check on him."

"His Majesty is ill?" said Didymus, sounding surprised.

"Jareth's sick?" said Hoggle, also surprised.

"Sick?" said Ludo, looking puzzled.

"Yes," said Sarah. "I think it had something to do with when I was at the labyrinth last time. I've come to help him."

"I see," said Didymus, scratching behind his ears with his foot. "How strange. Three year ago, you and His Majesty were utter rivals, but now you are concerned for his health? My lady, you are truly a wonder among women."

Sarah blushed slightly. "Well, it's just that he helped me out of a tight spot the other day and I'd think it a pretty poor repayment if I just let him rot."

"But, my lady, the Goblin King has left the labyrinth a mere two days ago," said Didymus. "He's not told any of his subjects where it is he has gone. My dear brother-in-arms here, Sir Ludo, and I were just discussing the Goblin King's strange behavior and had journeyed to the gates to discuss the matter with Sir Hoggle when we discovered you."

"I knew he left," said Sarah. "But I think I've got a pretty good idea of how to find him, so I'm heading out after him."

"A quest!" Sir Didymus looked simply delighted. "Well then, my brothers, let us accompany our gentle lady on her quest to locating the lost king!"

"Wait a minute!" Hoggle cried, looking horrified. "L-let's not do that! Jareth probably doesn't want to be found. He'll probably be back before we know it, really. Why don't you go back home for a bit, Sarah, and when Jareth comes back, one of us will come and give you a shout. Don't go looking for Jareth, Sarah. I really don't . . ."

"Poppycock!" cried Sir Didymus. "By the sound of it, this quest is of the utmost importance. We simply cannot abandon a fair maiden when she is in dire need of our assistance. The labyrinth is one thing, but the rest of the Underground is a new story all of itself. 'Tis no place for a lady to be traveling unaccompanied. Come, Ambrosius, we're going on a nice long walk. Come on now!" He gave Ambrosius a little kick in the side and the dog went on.

"Oh, I really would be glad if you guys came with me," said Sarah, gratefully. "Ludo, will you come to?"

Ludo let out a pleasant growling purr. "Sure. Sawah friend." He replied. Sarah smiled at him than looked down at the last of her three friends.

"Hoggle? Will you come too, please?"

Hoggle looked down at the ground. This was disastrous. Why did Ludo and Didymus have to come in and mess everything up? Hoggle wrung his hands, the Goblin King's words still echoing in his mind.

_"If she does come looking for me while I am away, any and all harm that befalls her while she is here will be utterly, completely, entirely, absolutely, totally, and in all other ways possible, _your fault_."_

Hoggle frowned. Well, he had tried to get her to go back, but he knew before he'd even tried that his chances of success were slim to none. He'd known that when he'd been given the order.

_All right then,_ Hoggle thought. _I don't want no harm to come to Sarah. None at all. It'll be all my fault if something does happen. So, I'll go with her and I'll make sure that no harm comes to her. I'll just make sure she stays well out of harms way so that it doesn't happen._

"Well, I may not be Jareth's number one fan, but if it's important to you, Sarah, I'll go too," said Hoggle, giving her a slight smile.

"Hoggle," said Sarah, truly touched by the loyalty her three friends still had for her. "Thank you. Thank you all so much. I feel better about this already."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Many miles away from the labyrinth, Limstella paced back and forth in front of the Silver Tower. She looked beautiful, but livid. Her honey-colored hair fanned out elegantly behind her without the assistance of wind, as did the full skirt of her orange and black gown. Her eyes flashed as she looked around her, as if expecting something. Next to her was a large, yellow caravan with two of the most magnificent creatures harnessed to it. They were shaped like horses, but unlike any horses known to mankind. They were a vibrant blue, with wide ruby eyes, and their manes and tails seemed to be made of roaring flames. These creatures seemed restless at their lack of movement. They pawed at the ground with their golden hooves and tossed their flaming heads furiously.

Limstella suddenly stopped her pacing. She looked over her shoulder to see Ena walking steadily her way. "Decided to return, have you?" she snarled. "Well? What have you discovered?"

"The disturbance I felt turned out to be a more pressing problem than I anticipated," said Ena, walking over to Limstella. "It seems a human has come to these lands from the Aboveground."

"A human?" said Limstella. "Here? Without the assistance of a Fae? How odd. What is their purpose here?"

"I don't know," said Ena. "But this human is traveling down the very same path the Jareth traveled on his way to the Shadow Temple."

Limstella's eyes flashed. "No," she hissed. "Surely not. Is it a male or female?"

"Female, my lady," replied Ena.

"No," said Limstella again. "That cannot be the same human that has caused all this trouble? The little wretch that caused Jareth to fall ill?"

"I cannot be sure," said Ena. "I do not know the human girl's name or face, so it is impossible to determine who she is."

"Well," said Limstella. "We must have a word with this guest of ours. If your divination is correct, then she will be heading in the same direction as we are. How is she getting there?"

"By foot," said Ena.

"Much slower than Heliopathic horses," said Limstella, thoughtfully. "But still a threat none the less."

"I should also tell you that she is accompanied by inhabitants of Jareth's labyrinth," Ena informed her. "There are four travelers in total."

"What are they?" Limstella asked. "Fae? More of Jareth's rats?"

"A dwarf, a member of the Fox clan, and a beast."

"A beast?" said Limstella, raising an eyebrow with something like concern in her voice. "Of what species?"

"From what I can gather, it is one of the Stone-Callers," said Ena.

"Hm," Limstella looked to the ground, thoughtfully. "A dwarf and the Fox clan I can deal with, but Stone-Callers can cause a great deal of problems. They have the power to call upon the stones to do their bidding, but they are a slow race. We should be able to subdue it."

"What will you do, Lady Limstella?" Ena asked.

"I'll meet with this human and her creature companions to make sure they aren't a threat to us," said Limstella, her eyes darkening. "May that human girl pray she isn't the one who has done this to Jareth. Should I find out she is the one who did this, it is she who must fear for her life and not my Jareth."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah, Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus started down a narrow dirt path that stretched across a large, empty wasteland. They'd been traveling for several hours, after leaving the labyrinth behind so that it was only a dark haze in the distance behind them. Sarah could see hills in the distance and but apart from them they were surrounded by quite a lot of nothing.

"Be of stout heart, my friends," said Didymus, sitting astride Ambrosius. "The Waste is of no threat to us. We should reach the hills by tomorrow."

"Sarah, are you sure you're going the right way?" Hoggle asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes, I'm sure," Sarah replied for the hundredth time. "I just know the Goblin King went this way." She held the black bag around her neck tightly in both hands and thought. _Right, Rin?_

_"Yes, I'm sure,"_ said Rin's voice inside Sarah's head. _"But we must be quick. I know the trail of magic is here, but it's fairly weak. Oh, I do hope we make it in time."_

_Don't worry, Rin,_ Sarah thought. _I'll make sure we get there before anything bad happens._

The Underground sun shone brightly down on the four traveling friends. Sarah looked up at the looming hills and saw something flash so brightly it hurt her eyes. Apparently, Ludo saw it too, because he let out a growling moan and raised his huge claws to his eyes.

"What's wrong?" asked Hoggle, turning to them.

"There's something in the hills up ahead," said Sarah, pointing. "See that? That thing that's shining so brightly?"

Hoggle and Sir Didymus looked. There, in the distance, reflecting the light of the sun was what seemed to be a large, silver something rising from the hill.

"What is that?" Sarah wondered aloud. Hoggle, however, gasped in terror.

"Oh, no," he gasped. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

"What's the matter, Hoggle?" Sarah asked, startled by the reaction of her friend.

"It's . . . it's . . . it's . . ." Hoggle seemed too horrified to speak. "The Silver Tower. LIMSTELLA!"

Hoggle turned around and started to run back toward the labyrinth.

"Wait a minute!" Sarah grabbed hold of the dwarf's arm and held him tightly. "Where are you going?"

"Back!" said Hoggle. "If Jareth went that way, let him go that way! I'm not going anywhere near that place and that's that!"

"Hoggle, what are you so afraid of?" Sarah asked.

"What am I so afraid of?" Hoggle stared incredulously up at her. "What am I so afraid of?! Sarah, the Silver Tower is where Limstella lives!"

"Come now, Sir Hoggle," said Didymus, shaking his staff at Hoggle. "Thou must not be so alarmed. This might even be fortuitous for us."

"Oh, you're joking!" said Hoggle, glaring at Didymus.

"Wait, wait," said Sarah, interrupting them both. "What are you both talking about? Who is this Limstella person?"

"Madam Limstella is one of the most power Fae in existence, my lady," explained Didymus. "And one of the most feared. She is referred to as the Fae Witch."

"And a witch she is," said Hoggle, eyeing the tower with great fear.

"She's a Fae?" said Sarah, hopefully. "Maybe she can tell us where the Goblin King is."

"No, no she can't!" cried Hoggle, looking terrified at the very thought. "If you're so sure that Jareth went this way, I can tell you right now there ain't no way he'd go into that tower, trust me."

"But perhaps my lady is right," said Didymus. "Perhaps the Goblin King has confided in Madam Limstella of where it is that he is headed."

"No way," said Hoggle flatly. "Jareth hates Limstella. He banished her from ever entering the labyrinth, remember? There's no way he'd confided so much as the weather to Limstella."

"Hate is a strong thing, Sir Hoggle," said Didymus. "Do you really believe that the Goblin King hates Madam Limstella?"

"I'm sure of it," said Hoggle, nodding vigorously.

"Why?" asked Sarah. "Should he not hate her?"

"I would hope he wouldn't," said Didymus, looking a little crestfallen. "I mean, she's only his mother."

**Ying-Fa: Dun, dun, dun DUUUUUNNNNNN! Did y'all see that coming? Actually, there is more to it. All will be explained later. For now, I have a back ache and stuff to do. Sorry it couldn't be longer. Review your little hearts out. I love you all! You say such nice things to me!**


	12. Jinxed

**Ying-Fa: I thank you all who reviewed. You make my day brighter. Just so you know there technically isn't anything wrong with the relationship with Limstella and Jareth. This will be explained momentarily.**

**Nagini-chan: Technically?**

**Ying-Fa: Be quiet! Grab your tissues ladies. Sarah's sober tale is here! You'll know when it starts because I'll switch to first person, so it is actually Sarah talking the whole time. Just clearing things up. Please enjoy.**

"Bah! She's not his mother," said Hoggle, waving his hand around impatiently.

"Regardless, Sir Hoggle," said Didymus. "She is all he has ever known as his mother, isn't she?"

"What are you both talking about?" asked Sarah, even more bewildered than before. "Is she his mom or not."

"Well, technically, no," said Hoggle. "She's just his godmother. She raised him, but he ain't hers."

"You mean like a foster mother?" said Sarah. "What happened to his real parents?"

"No idea," said Hoggle. "Probably lost in the war, weren't they? Oh, but you wouldn't know about the Age of Lovely Blood, would you?"

"There was a war among Fae, right?" said Sarah. "And now there aren't many of them left."

"How do you learn these things?" said Hoggle, looking astounded. "Where Jareth's going, what the Age of Lovely Blood is, how is it you know all this stuff."

"I just do," said Sarah, dismissively.

"Yes," said Didymus as the group resumed walking. "Well, during the Age of Lovely Blood, many of tribes were lost completely, and now very few remain. His Majesty was but a wee lad when it all ended, but Madam Limstella probably witnessed the entire war."

"Really?" said Sarah. "Didn't she fight in the war too?"

"Heh!" Hoggle gave a derisive snort of laughter. "As if. She stayed cooped up in that tower of hers and waited the whole thing out. Nobody wanted to get the Fae Witch involved. Didn't want her on their side or their enemy's side. If she was fighting against you, there ain't no chance of getting away. If she fought with you, odds are she'd turn against you the second she saw a better offer."

"Horrible," said Sarah. "I hope you're right when you said the Goblin King wouldn't go to see her, Hoggle."

"I'm sure I'm right," said Hoggle. "Jareth banned Limstella from ever setting foot in the Goblin City. In fact, the whole labyrinth is a defense against her."

"It is?"

"Most certainly, my lady," said Didymus. "Despite her great magic powers, Madam Limstella has one serious flaw. She is known for having the most awful sense of direction."

"Which means she's about as likely to make it through the labyrinth in one piece as I do of becoming the next Goblin King," said Hoggle, humorlessly. "Not likely at all."

Sarah walked on with her friends, playing with the drawstring bag Rin had given her. So, Jareth had been brought up by a foster mother who happened to be a terrible witch. Well, that explained a lot of things. His mean streak and his powers had all come from her. And then there was this foster mother herself. Limstella. She seemed to scare the living daylights out of Hoggle and had earned herself the title of a witch. She hoped that Limstella didn't know that the Goblin King was ill, and that she, Sarah, had beaten the labyrinth and her foster son all in thirteen hours. She doubted it would go down well with her.

They traveled through the wasteland for the rest of the day. Darkness soon fell upon them and they lacked a means for light. Just when it was getting so dark they could hardly see within an inch of their noses did Ludo voice another problem that had been bothering all of them for awhile, but nobody had dared to mention.

"Hungry," Ludo mumbled.

"Yeah," said Sarah, rubbing her stomach wearily. "Well, I can't think of anywhere we can stop to find food. Unless you have more peaches, eh Hoggle?"

"Shut up," grumbled the dwarf.

Suddenly, Ambrosius stopped and Sir Didymus sniffed at the air. "My lady, a strange scent lingers in the air. It is . . . oh my . . . it is quite heavenly."

The others sniffed, but found nothing.

"I think it may be a means for food, my lady," said Didymus, excitedly.

"Just forget it," said Hoggle. "I don't want anything that Didymus smells. Let's not forget this is the one who thinks the Bog of Eternal Stench is sweet and fragrant."

"But if it's a means of food," said Sarah. "We ought to at least check it out. We can't keep walking in this darkness and we don't have any food with us."

"This way, my lady," said Didymus, waving his staff to try and get the attention of the others through the darkness. He and Ambrosius rode off, with Sarah, Hoggle, and Ludo following. They only just managed to keep up in the dark, but Ambrosius's white fur still stood out in the star and moonlight coming from above them. In the distance, they saw an orange glow that looked like it might be firelight.

Now they could smell what Didymus had been talking about. But, in this case, his olfactory acuity proved correct. Something delicious was up ahead, coming from the glow up ahead.

"Smells like meat," said Hoggle, longingly. "Whoever's up ahead, I hope they're willing to share.

They came upon the source of the smell and halted. A small, rickety wagon pulled by a puny looking mule sat beside a roaring fire, over which there was what appeared to be an entire wild boar cooking. Next to the flames sat a slumped, hooded figure. Sarah walked toward the figure, but Hoggle grabbed her hand.

"Watch it!" he breathed. "It could be dangerous."

"We won't know until I try," said Sarah, pulling free from Hoggle's grip. She walked over to the figure and cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"

"Oh ho!" said the figure. "What villains are these that trespass upon old Jinx? What business do you have with old Jinx, eh?"

"Please," said Sarah, stepping into the firelight. "My friends and I are traveling through this wasteland and we don't have anything to eat. Could you please share with us?"

"Pretty girlie asks Jinx politely," said the figure. She raised her head and lowered her hood. She looked a little like a cross between a turtle and a Junk Lady, wrinkled and white haired, but there was something more human in her pale eyes and her squashed nose. "It is amazing the things you can accomplish in this world by simply asking politely. Jinx would like to share with pretty girlie and her friends-ies. There is plenty of boar for you all. Eat up, eat up."

They carved into the roasted beast and ate gratefully.

"So," said Jinx, eyeing Sarah in a motherly fashion. "What brings a pretty girlie to the Waste? Wouldn't a pretty girlie rather go to the labyrinth? Pretty girlie might get to meet the handsome king, oh ho ho! He might catch your eye and fall in love, oh ho ho!"

"Actually," said Sarah, glad that nobody had seen her blush in the light of the fire. "It's the king we're looking for. He's walked by this way, but we don't know where he's going. Do you think you might know?"

Jinx shook her head. "Never a good sign, when a Fae travels the Waste alone," she said. "Oh no. Sounds to old Jinx that he's gone and headed for the Shadow Temple, it does."

"Shadow Temple?" The four companions all said together, some with meat still in their mouths.

"Sacred place, the Shadow Temple," said Jinx, nodding seriously. "Sacred place for the Fae race, it is. No Fae goes in there and comes back out again, no they don't."

"What?" Sarah cried in alarm. "Why not?"

"Shadow Temple is a sacred place," repeated Jinx. "A place of silence. A place of death. Fae go in there to end their lives or wait for life to leave them, they do. 'Tis the price for immortality, it is. Live forever, age for never, but live in bodies fragile as glass. Hearts that tremble at the thought of breaking. No Fae can last long with a broken heart, they can't."

Sarah stared at the old woman, feeling sick. No Fae could live with a broken heart? What did that mean? Was the Goblin King sick because of his heart? Did he think his heart was going to kill him, so he traveled to this Shadow Temple to end his pain?

"Is pretty girlie worried about a dying Fae?" Jinx asked, gently.

Sarah stared at the crackling flames. "Y-yes," she admitted. "Yes. I . . . I've seen him before. We were enemies at the time, but even so, he came to me recently and he helped me."

Jinx blinked. "Helped you, eh? So you wish to help him, now?"

"Yes," said Sarah.

"What will you say to him once you find him, pretty girlie?" asked Jinx.

Sarah thought. What on earth was she going to say to the Goblin King when she saw him again? She thought for a moment, then said, "I'm going to tell him that I forgive him. I'll forgive him for taking Toby. Then I, in turn, will apologize. I think I might have done something to hurt him, but I didn't realize it at the time. So, I'll apologize."

Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus stared fondly at Sarah. They knew her answer would be kind and forgiving. After reducing the entire boar to bones and as the fire started to die down, Jinx allowed them to spend the night with there with her.

"Not safe traveling in the Waste in the dark," she said, shaking her old head. "No, not safe at all." Sarah's three friends fell asleep quickly, but she stayed awake.

"Pretty girlie has her mind full of thoughts," said Jinx, smiling at her.

"Yeah," Sarah admitted. "I can't sleep."

"Too many thoughts aren't good for the health," said Jinx. "Taxing, it is. Mind, body, and soul all feel the effect of too much thinking, they do. Talk to Jinx, pretty girlie. Twill make you feel better."

Sarah looked over at her three friends. Hoggle was snoring loudly, his large nose twitching with every snort, Ludo slept in a sitting up position and was surprisingly silent, Sir Didymus yipped and occasionally mumbling things like, "I shall fight you all to the death," and "But of coarse I have feelings for you."

"It had something to do with me," Sarah said, quietly. "I know it did."

"What did?" asked Jinx.

"The Goblin King," said Sarah. "Why he's sick, why he's gone to this Shadow Temple place, it all has something to do with me. I know it does."

"Why would you think that, pretty girlie?"

"I don't know," said Sarah, burying her face in her hands. "I just know it has something to do with me. I know it, I really do. And I can't bear the thought. I don't want anything to happen to him. I don't want anything to change in this place. I don't want anyone to touch this place. Nobody is to ruin this place. This beautiful, beautiful world. I want it to stay the way it is, always. The labyrinth, my friends, the Goblin King, everything. Nobody is to touch it. Nobody is to ruin it. Not even me."

Jinx smiled. "So, pretty girlie is a human from the Aboveground, eh? Jinx guessed right about you."

"Yes," said Sarah, feeling tears coming on. "I came down here once before. That's where I met my friends and the Goblin King. I had something to do then. The Goblin King took something from me and I had to win it back. I . . . I thought I was doing the right thing. I was doing everything I knew I had to do. I played my part, he played his. That's the way it's done. But I've made a mistake somewhere. A horrible mistake. I've done something to hurt him. I don't really understand, but I hurt him. And now he's going to same temple to die. No! No I won't let it happen."

"Why won't you let it happen?" asked Jinx, gently.

Tears slid down Sarah's cheeks as she gazed at Jinx. "Because this world, the Underground, it saved me. The labyrinth saved me. The Goblin King . . . saved me, too. Not just at Shawna's party. Before that. Long ago. When everything was dark."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

How was I supposed to know that this would happen? How could anyone have possibly known? Who could have predicted it? Not me. Never me. I didn't understand what was happening around me. I was just a little kid, how could I know? In the beginning all seemed so serene. I had all I needed. I had something that not many of the kids in my class had. I had them both. Daddy and Mom.

Mom. I guess she started it, really. She was a actress, you know? She lived for the theater. She loved the spotlight, but she wanted more. She wanted to be a star. She couldn't get that with a husband who worked in stocks and a little daughter, could she? But I thought she was happy. I really did. We always seemed happy. The three of us, together, we seemed happy. They'd smile a lot and laugh and play with me and we'd eat together. We always had fun. We were always happy. But, what I didn't realize, is that I was just in another of Mom's plays.

She and Daddy were the stars in that play. They pretended everything was alright. They pretended that everything was going well. I think they even managed to convince themselves, just a little bit. But they couldn't turn away from the truth. The truth was that Mom loved the theater more than she loved being a wife and a mother. She loved being an actress more than her entire family combined.

And she was in love with a man . . . who wasn't my dad.

She hardly said goodbye to me. I was only seven at the time when she and dad sat me down at the table. Daddy went first.

"Sarah," he said. "First off, I want you to know that your mother and I love you very much. But, some things have come up and some things have happened in our marriage and we've decided to get a divorce."

Divorce. I knew what it was, but I still had a hard time understanding what was going on.

"We still love you, Sarah," Daddy reassured me. "The problem is, Mommy and Daddy don't love each other anymore."

That day was just so blurry. But I don't remember yelling or fighting or harsh words. I guess I was just numb. I couldn't believe what was happening. Until about a week later. Mom had been packing all week. But then the taxi arrived, along with her lover.

I panicked. I ran to Mom and I held on as tightly as I could. "Mommy, you're gonna come home, right?" I remember asking. "You're gonna come back, right? You and Daddy are gonna stop the divorce thing, right? Things are gonna be okay again, right? They have to be okay. I . . . I don't want you to go away, Mommy. Please, don't go! Mommy, stay with me!"

Mom turned around smiled and patted me on the head as if I was someone else's child.

"Why the long face, Sarah? Come on, it isn't good for that cute little face. I'll give you a call as soon as I can. See you later."

That was the last thing she'd ever said to me, face-to-face. She climbed in the taxi with her boyfriend, and they drove away. And just like that, she was gone. There were some phone calls at first, but then they were just letters, and then silence. She'd left. No regrets. No strings attached.

I couldn't blame her. I couldn't blame Daddy. I couldn't blame her boyfriend. I couldn't even blame myself. I didn't know who to blame. So, I didn't blame anyone. I just waited. I tried to convince myself that there was still hope. That there was still a chance that she would come home and everything would be okay again. I held onto that. I clung to that hope desperately. I waited for my fairytale ending. Where she would return, where Daddy would forgive her and love her again, where I'd run into her arms, which would suddenly become warm and motherly.

I waited and waited for her. My eyes and ears pricked for any sign that she would return. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years, and still no sign that Mom would come home. But I kept waiting for her. Quietly and patiently, I'd wait. Without any sign of emotion, I waited for my fairytale to come true. She was the one who bought me all those fairytale books, who filled my head with imagination and wonder. I knew she would come back, because she'd planted that belief in my head that fairytales were real. I'd wait at the park where we used to play together. But she never showed.

But my endless waiting was in vain. She didn't come back. If I'd have known that, I probably would have paid more attention to what was happening to around me. I don't know if it would have changed anything, but I wouldn't have been so surprised.

Shortly after Mom left, Daddy started hiring a lot of babysitters to look after me while he went out at night. It was easy money for them, I expect. All I did was stay in my room and wait for my mother to return. But, when I turned ten, it finally occurred to me what was going on. Where Daddy was going every night and why he kept hiring babysitters.

He was dating other women.

Sometimes, he'd introduce me to the women he went out with. They all seemed nice, but I wasn't fooled. I knew what they were there for. Now my anticipation for my mother to return was greater than ever. She had to come back before it was too late. Daddy was looking for a new wife, but he couldn't have one. Mom was his wife. They were meant to be together. They had to be together. That was how it was meant to be. If they weren't together again, what would happen to me?

But it was too late. Daddy came home one day and sat me down at the same table where he told me about him and mom getting a divorce. "Sarah," he said. "You remember Irene, right? I've introduced her to you and we've had dinner together sometimes. Do you like her?"

I don't think I answered. I guess I just kinda shrugged.

"Well," Daddy went on. "Irene is very special to me, Sarah. Now, I've done a lot of thinking about this, and I've made a very important decision. I'm going to ask Irene to marry me."

My world froze over. I hadn't heard what I thought I heard.

"If she says yes," said Daddy, looking happy and excited. _Happy and excited!_ "She's going to live with us from now on. She's going to be your new mother. Won't that just be great, Sarah?"

I definitely answered that one. "But, what about Mommy?" I asked. "What are you going to do when Mommy comes home? What'll she say if she sees another lady in here? You can't replace her. She still has to come home!"

Daddy sighed and shook his head. I knew what he was thinking. He thought I was foolish. That my pint-sized brain couldn't cope with new information. "Sarah, Linda isn't going to come home. She has a new home now. She lives in New York now, remember? She's not coming back here. Now Irene is going to be your mother. Won't it be nice to have a mother again, Sarah?"

"Irene isn't my mommy!" I cried, the tears falling. "Mommy is my mommy!"

I ran. I ran clear out of the house. I ran all the way to the park, found a bench and cried. I cried forever. Daddy had betrayed me. He'd betrayed Mom. He hadn't waited. He hadn't had faith, like I did. Yeah. I think that was it. I think that was the first time I'd ever said them. As I cried there on the bench in the park. Those words.

"It's not fair. It's not fair!"

Daddy married Irene. I couldn't get along with her. I was her husband's daughter from another marriage. I was the stain upon her new life with Dad. I was terrified of Irene. She was the stepmother. The wicked symbol of a broken family in all my stories. Stepmothers always bode ill for the hero or heroine in the stories. But as scared of her as I was, it was nothing compared to someone else. Someone who was coming. By now I was desperate for Mom to come home. If she didn't come soon and steal Dad away from Irene, then all would be lost. But then he came. The real villain. The one person who shattered all my hope of things going back to the way they were.

"Sarah, I'd like to introduce you to your new baby brother. Toby Robert Williams."

Toby. I piled it all on Toby. At last, I had someone I could blame for ruining everything. I made it all Toby's fault. He was just a baby. He didn't do anything. I realize that now, but I didn't know then. With Toby around, Dad would never want Mom back if she ever did come. He'd moved on completely. He had a new family. He'd forgotten everything.

That was what terrified me. He didn't need me anymore. He had a new child. I was just the permanent reminder of something that once was, but was no more. I was what was left of a past mistake. I went to the park nearly everyday after Toby was born. I didn't go there to wait for Mom anymore. I went there to cry. To unleash my feelings in privacy.

That's right. I remember now. That's when I found it. The book. I'd gone to the park to cry one day and I looked up and there it was, right next to me on the stone bench. I wondered where it had come from. I was just a kid, so I didn't know what to do with it. I picked it up and read the story inside. It cheered me up. Everything about it cheered me up. I fell in love with the story. The beautiful young girl, the villainous Goblin King, the wild and magical labyrinth, it made me feel happy again. I was able to escape from the life I lived now. I memorized the whole story. I dress up in costumes and acted out my favorite bits. I didn't go to the park to cry anymore, I went to escape into the world of the labyrinth.

I still haven't had much contact with Mom. I never got the news that she remarried, but whenever I did hear from her, she was still with her boyfriend. I guess she figured out that marriage wasn't the way to go for her. She and her boyfriend live together, but aren't planning on marriage. I never heard that I had any other siblings other than Toby either. She's been on Broadway, you know. She's got everything she wanted that she couldn't have with Daddy and me. At home, I felt so empty. I felt like Daddy's new life would be perfect if only he didn't have me around. He had his new wife and Toby had taken my place as his rightful child. That's what made me hate Toby so much. Irene had replaced Mom and Toby had replaced me. With Toby around, Daddy didn't need me anymore. I thought . . . that if he just . . . disappeared . . .

Then I said those words.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah was now lying on her side while Jinx stroked her hair soothingly. "I wished that the goblins would take Toby away," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "And he answered me. He took Toby to the Goblin City and I had to run through the whole labyrinth to get him back. I realized too late that I didn't want Toby taken away. I still loved my brother. It wasn't as deep a bond as it is now, but it was there. I realized that Toby didn't have anything to do with Mom and Daddy splitting up and for me to blame him for everything that happened, it wasn't fair.

"As for the Goblin King, I made him an enemy because he was meant to be an enemy. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate what he was trying to do for me, but if I let him keep Toby, that would make me a bad person. I didn't want to be a bad person. But he wouldn't give him back, so I made him the bad person. He was . . . just trying to do what I asked. He was granting my wish . . . but I . . . held it against him. Now . . . something's wrong with him. If it really was . . . my fault . . . I'm gonna be the one . . . to set . . . things . . ." with a yawn and a sigh, Sarah was asleep along with her friends.

The old woman stared down at the sleeping girl. She got to her feet, gazed around at the sleeping companions, and then removed her cloak. The magical disguise came off as well, revealing her true self.

"Sarah of the Aboveground," said Ena, looking down at Sarah. "I wonder if there is still room for hope in the Pandora's Box you've opened for yourself."

**Ying-Fa: There you go. Another one gone. I hope you enjoyed. So, now you know, the Limstella/Jareth thing (NOT A PAIRING! HE HATES HER, REMEMBER?) going on is technically okay, right? That's really okay, isn't it!? Is it still gross! Is it perverted! AM I A PERVERTED OLD WOMAN!?**

**Nagini-chan: Best just leave your reviews. She's gonna be out of it for awhile.**


	13. A Shortcut

**Ying-Fa: (humming Iron Man theme song) My apologies. I just saw that movie. It was good, so you know. But I haven't forgotten you all. Here's the next chapter, just for you. **

Jareth was the weakest he'd ever been in his entire life, and yet, he was elated all the same. He'd finally arrived, at long last. He'd been afraid that he might not make it in time. But he had. The Shadow Temple stood before him. A large, grand place built of black stone, a large staircase leading up to a pair of stone doors through which no Fae was walked through twice.

Jareth hurried up the steps. His arrival had given him a rush of energy, now that he'd finally got there. He reached the doors and, without even touching them, they opened for him slowly and loudly. Jareth took one slow breath, and then stepped over the threshold, knowing he'd not go out again. Almost at once, the pain he'd been enduring in his chest throughout his journey seemed to vanish. True, there was still an unpleasant pressure pushing down on his chest, but it no longer ached and he no longer felt the need to cough.

The entrance hall on the inside was filled with the most elegant stone figures. Graceful personages of Fae who have sought peaceful death within these walls were scattered around the hall. Soon, his own image would join them. Then, the stone faces all turned to face him and an unearthly sound echoed throughout the room.

_**"Why have you entered this place? What is your purpose here?"**_

"To ease my passing," Jareth replied, feeling no fear.

_**"So it shall be," **_the voice announced. _**"Jareth, Goblin King and Lord of the Labyrinth, may you find solace in your demise. The spirits of the Temple shall do you no harm."**_

"Thank you," said Jareth. He lifted his hand and a crystal materialized there. This would be his last spell. "Now, only one more thing to do to ensure my end is peaceful."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

You can only imagine Sarah's surprise when she awoke the next morning to discover that the nice old woman who had fed and helped them last night was nowhere to be found and in her place was a lovely young woman with pink hair and dark skin.

"W-who are you?" she asked. "Where's Jinx?"

"I must apologize," said the girl. "My name is Ena. Jinx is but an assumed name I took while in disguise. I'm terribly sorry for not telling you what I was immediately upon our meeting, but it is necessary for a Fae to keep themselves to themselves."

"You're a Fae?" Sarah asked, interested.

"Well, bless my soul," said Sir Didymus, who was also awake alongside Hoggle and Ludo. "Never would I have imagined meeting a Fae other than his Majesty."

"But what was the disguise for?" Hoggle asked, suspiciously. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"Because the conflict and strife of the Age of Lovely Blood still lingers in the remains of the Fae race," explained Ena. "My tribe bore very distinct features and could easily be recognized by enemies. If I were to run across another Fae with contempt toward my tribe, it would surely be the death of me. I am no fighter by nature."

"Oh," said Sarah, understandingly. "That's okay. If it was for your own protection, I understand completely. So, where are you headed, Ena?"

"I was heading toward the labyrinth," said Ena, somberly. "I knew of Jareth's illness, and I wondered if I could help him. So, I thought if I asked the Prophet of the labyrinth, I'd find answers."

"Well, that would've been a waste of time," said Hoggle, his nose in the air.

"But, she has a point, Sir Hoggle," said Sir Didymus. "Perhaps we should have asked the Prophet for advice."

"Bah!" said Hoggle. "Don't tell me you believe that garbage. You live in the labyrinth. You know full well there ain't no Prophet."

"What are you all talking about?" Sarah said, annoyed by the fact everyone knew something and wasn't letting her in on it. "Who is this Prophet?"

"_Supposedly,_" said Hoggle, skeptically. "There's a Prophet what knows all the secrets of the labyrinth. He's supposed to be Jareth's most trusted advisor, if you believe that nonsense."

"What makes it nonsense?" Sarah asked.

"The fact that nobody's ever seen him," said Hoggle. "Even Jareth has never actually admitted that he was real. They just think he's real because Jareth knows anything and everything to do with the labyrinth even when he's miles and miles away. Trust me, Jareth don't need no Prophet, he just uses his magic. But everyone is so sure he's there, but that's just pish-posh. The only thing we've got is that kooky old wise man, and he's gone around the twist."

"I had heard that the Prophet was simply a story," said Ena. "But I still wanted to help. I've known Jareth for a long time and I grieved to learn that he was ill. If he's gone to the Shadow Temple, and judging from what you told me last night, he has, then our chances of reaching him in time are very slim."

"But we can still try," Sarah insisted. "Can't we? There's still some hope, isn't there?"

"I don't know if you should risk it," said Ena. "A human has never entered the Shadow Temple before. You could get hurt. Best to turn back before it is too late, Lady Sarah."

"I can't," said Sarah, just as she'd said it before. "Don't you understand that I can't? I have to find him. I have to tell him I'm sorry. This is so important to me it's unbearable. Can you understand that, Ena?"

Ena looked reluctantly at Sarah, her brow furrowed in what looked like worry. But, she sighed. "Very well. If it means so much to you, Lady Sarah, I will do nothing to stop you. Indeed, I'm in a mind to help you."

"You are?" said Sarah, hopefully.

"I know where the Shadow Temple is," said Ena. "I can take you there on my wagon. It isn't very swift, but it is much quicker than on foot. If you would like that, I would be willing to lend you a hand. Jareth is a good friend of mine and I wish to help him as you do, Lady Sarah."

"Oh, Ena," said Sarah, beaming. "Thank you so much. You're a lifesaver!" She turned to her friends. "What do you guys think?"

"I'll take a ride in a wagon over walking around any day," said Hoggle, rubbing his feet. "Besides, she said she was a friend of Jareth's. It might help."

"Ludo go with Sawah," Ludo replied, with a big smile.

"And I, Sir Didymus, shall accompany my lady anywhere," said Didymus. "Ambrosius and I shall ride beside the wagon. The fair maidens and Sir Hoggle shall ride the cart and Sir Ludo can accompany me on foot."

"Great plan, Didymus," said Sarah. "Okay, let's get going. We're short on time."

Within five minutes, the group set out again. Sarah and Ena rode in front of the wagon while Hoggle sat in the back, looking out at the road they left behind. Sir Didymus and Ambrosius scampered on one side of the cart while Ludo took long strides on the other side.

"So, how do you know the Goblin King?" Sarah asked Ena, as they traveled.

"Jareth? I have known him for some time," said Ena. "Let's just say we had similar upbringings."

"Hoggle said he was raised by the Fae Witch," Sarah said.

"Yes, he was," said Ena. "But he ran away from her while he was still young. He traveled the lands for many years. I suppose he'd set off to meet the remains of the Fae, perhaps looking to see if there was anything left of his tribe. If so, his efforts proved in vain. He then gathered the goblins together and built the Goblin City and eventually the labyrinth around it."

Sarah sighed. "Do you know much about the Age of Lovely Blood? It sounds horrible."

"It truly was," said Ena, gravely. "I was not as fortunate as Jareth. I was born just as the war reached its most violent peak. Now I am the only one of my tribe left."

"What?" said Sarah, shocked. "What happened, if you don't mind my asking?"

Ena looked rather miserable, but she spoke nonetheless.

"Mine was a tribe of peace," she said. "We lived upon a hilltop, so that we could see any danger coming for us and we could evade it. We were no fighters and loathe violence and bloodshed. We where blessed with the gift of nature-speaking, a rare gift which ran common in our tribe. We could hear the voices of nature, the wind, the water, the trees, the stars, they all spoke to us."

"That sounds so nice," said Sarah.

"It . . . was nice, wasn't it," said Ena. "But it did not save us. The war reached us, somehow. Perhaps our talents were envied by another tribe, I do not know. Suddenly, the water stopped speaking to us. We were concerned but its change in nature, but then we learned why in the most terrible way. The stream from which we got our drinking water had been poisoned. Everyone who had partaken of the water feel into fits of pain and weakness."

"Horrible," said Sarah, feeling angry and pitying.

"You can't imagine," said Ena. "Then, we were attacked. We could do nothing to save ourselves. We could not fight at the height of our strength, let alone when we were poisoned and weak. How I managed to survive the onslaught, even I do not know. I simply awake, for I had fainted in the midst of the chaos, and the ground was smooth with blood and everyone I'd ever known lay dead on the ground."

Ena went quiet as she remembered that day:

_Homes were in flames, the ground littered in bodies, and she was so ill she could not move to escape the hellish scene. Ena tried to crawl away, but her limbs refused to work. She'd consumed too much of the poison. She knew she wouldn't last. She pass in this horrible place before she'd even stopped growing. Her immortality had been a waste. She was going to die a child, alone and feeble amongst the bloody remains of her people._

_Then a shadow fell over her. Ena lay her head down, planning on simply pretending to be dead in case the predator above her planned on finishing her off._

_"My, my. It seems that one has stayed alive."_

_The voice was empty of malice. It sounded gentle and pitying. Ena felt a hand on her face. A soft one, yet cold. She looked up at the Fae woman standing over her. Long, honey colored locks and vivid green eyes._

_"Poor little thing," she said. "What monsters to attack such a defenseless tribe. Well, at least one managed to get away. Come on, little dear."_

_Ena felt the soft, cold hands lift her and she was held against the newcomer's bosom like an infant child returned to her mother._

_"There, there," she said. "It's alright. Limstella shall take care of you. What is your name, little one?"_

_Ena struggled to find her voice. "Ena."_

Ena returned to the present and looked over at Sarah. "I was discovered by another Fae and I was taken care of until my strength returned."

Sarah felt tears begin to leak in her eyes. "That's the most horrible thing I've ever heard. How would do such a terrible thing?"

"War does grizzly things to you, Lady Sarah," said Ena. "That is one thing I learned out there. You can imagine my relief when the war finally ended, but there was so little left. It was terrible."

_Ena walked around the battle field. It looked just like her home had when the attack had ended. The sky was red, as was the blood-soaked ground. The fallen lay broken and ripped all around her. Ena longed to look away, but the hand that was holding tightly to hers gave her a little shake._

_"Do not look away, Ena," said Limstella, staring out at the chaos with mild disgust. "This is what the Fae race has resorted itself to. Pathetic, really. We had such promise in the beginning."_

_The two walked among the bodies. What Limstella was looking for, Ena didn't know. Then they heard a muffled cry._

_"Lady Limstella," said Ena. "Did you hear that?"_

_"I most certainly did," said Limstella. "Stay here a minute, Ena. I shall go investigate. Do not touch anything."_

_Limstella released Ena's hand and walked away into the blood and shadow. Ena stood there in silence, wishing with all her might that Limstella would arrive back quickly._

_"Why, Ena. We are most fortunate. Come see what I have discovered."_

_Ena walked over toward Limstella's voice. Once she reached the woman, she had a bundle in her arms. Inside was a very small Fae child._

_"Feast your eyes, Ena my dear," said Limstella. "Have you ever seen such a beautiful Fae boy? He's in need of substance. Come along, Ena. Back to the Tower, with us and our new little guest as well. What shall we call him, eh Ena? Hm. Perhaps we can call him Jareth. That sounds nice, don't you think?"_

_Limstella's voice was kind and motherly, but Ena shuddered at the look on her face. She was staring down at the little boy with ill-disguised greed in her eye._

Ena was silent for awhile, once again lost in her own memories. Sarah stared at her for awhile before saying, "Um, Ena?"

Ena came back with a jolt. "Oh, my apologies, Lady Sarah," she said politely.

"No, I should be sorry," said Sarah. "I shouldn't have brought up such a painful subject."

"Humans are known to be curious beings," said Ena, with a slight smile. "I do not doubt you in the slightest."

"Ena, you talked about tribes," said Sarah. "You mean there were different groups of Fae?"

"Are their not different groups of humans?" asked Ena. "Yes, there are many different kinds of Fae. Each individual had their own magical powers that manifest themselves in various ways. I'm sure, if you have met him before, you have seen the manifestation of Jareth's magic. That of sparkling, crystalline spheres?"

_And really cute little girls,_ Sarah thought to herself thinking of Rin and the labyrinth. "Yes, I have seen the crystals. So, magic is different for every Fae?"

"Yes. Each form is unique to the one who uses it."

"Then, what form does your magic take?" Sarah asked.

Ena raised her hand and made a gesturing movement. Suddenly, a small glass flower appeared in the palm of her hand.

"Oh, how sweet," said Sarah, staring at the flower.

"Thank you," said Ena, handing the flower to Sarah. "Here you are," and she handed the flower to Sarah. "You may have it."

"Really?" said Sarah, taking it. "It's beautiful. Thank you. What kind is it?"

"That is a snapdragon," said Ena, somehow not really meeting Sarah's eyes as the former put the flower behind her ear.

They arrived at the hills and trees stretched out in front of them. Suddenly, Sarah got a mental tug to grab hold of the pouch around her neck. She took it into her hands and closed her eyes. Rin's voice echoed into her mind.

_"Sarah,"_ she said, sounding uneasy._ "Are you sure you're going the right way? I don't feel Jareth's magic anymore. I don't think he went this way."_

Sarah turned back to Ena. "Ena, are you sure this is the way? Did the Goblin King take this path?"

"Actually, no," said Ena. "The Marshes are a shortcut to the Temple. We'll get there faster this way. Jareth probably wouldn't have gone this way. He'll have taken the longer way through the White Woods."

"So, this is a shortcut?" said Sarah.

"Yes," said Ena. "We'll make much better time than taking the long way."

_There you go, Rin,_ Sarah thought. _See? It's okay. We're just going a faster way than he did. It'll be okay._

_"Hm," _said Rin, still sounding fearful._ "I don't know, Sarah. Are you sure that this woman is trustworthy."_

_Of course I'm sure._

_"How can you be sure?"_

_I . . . I don't know,_ Sarah replied honestly. _But I just do, okay? Trust me._ She let go of the bag and severed the connection with Rin.

Before long, night had fallen again and they stopped for the night. "We can afford to rest," Ena assured them. "Even if Jareth has entered the Temple by now, he still has time. Maybe a few days. It should be alright if we take time to recover out strength."

As Sarah, Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Ambrosius fell asleep, Ena watched over them. Her eyes lingered on the snapdragon she'd given Sarah and her insides felt sick. She suddenly remembered the previous night and then felt consumed with guilt.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_After Sarah had fallen asleep, Ena had searched through the back of the wagon until she found what she was looking for. A small, circular mirror with elegant carvings around the edge. Ena looked into the mirror, but did not see her own reflection. Instead she saw the face of Limstella glaring back at her._

_"Have you reached him?" Ena asked._

_"Yes and no," said Limstella, sounding outraged. "I've reached the Temple, but the idiot has gone and sealed it against me! It won't let me in to see him! Curse you, Jareth!" Limstella screamed in fury._

_"I have found the human," said Ena. "My assumption was correct. She is indeed the one who has won Jareth's heart."_

_"What?" Limstella looked amazed. "Are you sure?"_

_"Most sure," replied Ena. "What will you have me do?"_

_Limstella stared at Ena. "You know full well what it is you must do. Where is she?"_

_"Asleep," replied Ena. "Meer feet away."_

_"Then, what are you waiting for?" Limstella said, sharply._

_Ena's insides squirmed. "Oh, Limstella, you know I cannot. It is against my very nature."_

_"So you would rather the little mortal wretch get away with single-handedly killing our Jareth?" Limstella asked in a deathly cold voice. "Nature is about balance, Ena my dear. A life for a life, it is only fair. Now, do the deed. I'll not ask you again."_

_Ena threw a glance over her shoulder at the sleeping companions. "But her friends, they are innocent."_

_"Then just use your magic to make sure they stay still," said Limstella, impatiently. "They are pathetic creatures, it shouldn't be too hard."_

_Ena put down the mirror, let out a little moan of misery and reached into the bag where she'd found the mirror. After a moment's searching, she found a sharp dagger with an emerald handle._

_"L-Lady Limstella," Ena pleaded, looking at the weapon with great fear._

_"One deep cut across the throat and it is over, you silly girl," Limstella snapped. "It shouldn't be any trouble for you. Go on. Do it while she still sleeps."_

_Ena was now holding back tears. She was about to leave the wagon and approach the sleeping girl, when Limstella's voice echoed out of the mirror. "Wait! Ena, stop!"_

_Ena stilled gratefully. "Yes, Lady Limstella."_

_"Don't kill her yet," said Limstella. "Something has just occurred to me. I've a much better idea."_

_"Really? What?"_

_"Jareth has sealed me out of the Temple," said Limstella. "By the look of the spell, he has bewitched it to recognize me. I cannot enter. But, that human girl probably could still be able to get in."_

_Ena stared at the face in the mirror. Limstella's eyes were sparkling with delight. "Yes. That's what I'll do. Listen closely Ena. I'm currently parked in the Marshes not far from the Temple. Tell the girl to take the shortcut through here and you should cross my path. Then I'll use the girl's name and face to enter the Temple and spare Jareth's life."_

_"But Jareth has such little time," said Ena. "He might not last."_

_"This human harlot broke his heart around three Aboveground years ago, correct?" Limstella asked. "Then he should have enough time if you take the shortcut like I told you. Even in the Temple he should have, oh, five days if we are lucky? Just make haste, but not so much haste that you alarm the girl. Give her one of your snapdragons, Ena. They cast a spell of deception, do they not? Use the spell on her and she will believe anything you say, even if you lie through your teeth. Bring her to me and Jareth survives, or keep her too long and he dies. Your choice, Ena."_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ena curled up in a ball and buried her face in her knees. _Jareth, Lady Sarah_, she thought miserably. _Forgive me. Forgive poor, worthless Ena. I'm not strong enough to stand up to her. I'm not._

Sarah suddenly stirred; she sat up and looked around at her sleeping friends. "Ena?" she said, looking over at the Fae girl. "Are you okay?"

Ena raised her head. "Lady Sarah," she said. "Can you not sleep?"

"No," said Sarah, miserably. "I'm just so anxious. I don't want to keep sitting around here, knowing he's sick and probably dying in some temple somewhere."

Ena thought for a moment. "You needn't worry so much, Lady Sarah. Rest now."

Sarah lay back down, but Ena spoke again.

"Lady Sarah, what is that around your neck?"

"A bit of the labyrinth," said Sarah, sitting up and opening it. "It's supposed to help me find the Goblin King again." Sarah pulled out the white flower that was inside. Ena gasped.

"A white poppy," she said. "Lady Sarah, that is your relief in your hands. The smell of that flower will help you drift off to sleep. You will recover your strength quicker."

"Really?," said Sarah, taking the flower and smelling it. The scent was strange, but it was a strangeness she knew. The strangeness of the smell was just like the strangeness of the peach Hoggle had given her. And, just like with the peach, she felt as if the world was suddenly dancing all around her.

"Ena, what's going on?"

"Have no fear," said Ena. "It is just lolling you to sleep. And as you sleep, your dreams will consist of deep memories."

Sarah lay down on her side and her eyes slid shut. What Ena hadn't realized is that it would no be Sarah's memories that she would dream of. The pouch around her neck made certain of that.

Instead her dreams were the memories the Goblin King.

**Ying-Fa: There it is! Tell me what you think. Jareth's past is up next! I look forward to writing it. It will explain why he says what he does in the last scene of the movie. Leave me a fat load of reviews and it'll be there before you know it!**


	14. Jareth's Four Girls

**Ying-Fa: Here we are. Jareth's story! It actually cost me something to write this. Every time I write about Jareth, all I produce is angst! Angst, angst, ANGST! Why is such a hot guy so ANGSTY! Well, I hope you enjoy it anyway.**

Jareth opened his eyes. He was lying down in a soft bed the Temple had provided him with. It was to be his deathbed, one from which he would never rise again. He knew that once he had collapsed onto it shortly after arriving in the Temple. Since then he'd been drifting in and out of consciousness, waiting for the time he fell asleep and didn't wake up.

Jareth slowly turned from his back to his side. He had been dreaming of his past, he'd just woken up from a blurred vision of being found by Limstella and Ena in the midst of the last battlefield of the Age of Lovely Blood. Jareth let out his breath slowly. Why couldn't he dream of something more enjoyable as he died? Why couldn't he picture something that gave him peace rather than depressed and miserable? Why couldn't he dream of Sarah? Yes, dreams of her would certainly make him feel better about what was about to become of him.

Jareth closed his eyes, planning on falling back to sleep again. He suddenly remembered something. In the Aboveground, they believed that as someone died, their life flashed before their eyes. Perhaps that was what he was doing. Perhaps he was going over his life before it ended.

_If that's the case,_ he thought as sleep started to take over him again. _Hurry up and get to the part where I first saw Sarah. I certainly don't need to dwell on anything that happened before that . . . . Such a pity . . ._

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Throughout his life, there were four women who had the greatest impact of Jareth's life. Limstella, Ena, Rin, and Sarah each played a part in his life and had a part in making him who he was.

As the godson of the Fae Witch, Jareth never knew what it meant to lack for anything. Limstella had always provided him with anything he'd ever wanted. He simply asked, and it was given to him. He was spoiled and pampered by Limstella, but was ultimately raised by Ena. Limstella provided Jareth with possessions. She gave him endless toys and trinkets for his amusement and to satisfy his every whim. Ena, on the other hand, prepared his meals, saw that he was comfortable and healthy, and the like. The two Fae watched Jareth as he grew. Even he would admit to being something of a brat during his life in the Silver Tower. He never knew anything else.

But, as he grew, he soon began to discover the world outside the tower. Though Limstella normally gave him everything he asked for, she never let him go outside.

"My Jareth is too precious to be seen by simple-minded creatures and filth that litter the Underground," said Limstella, stroking his hair and smiling as she denied him. "Limstella doesn't want anyone to see her handsome little Jareth, now does she?"

Jareth hadn't replied. He touched the place where Limstella had touched him. Maybe he knew then how he felt about the Fae Witch, but was too young to understand it correctly. All he knew at that time was that there was something about Limstella that he couldn't understand. That she made him feel something strange in the pit of his stomach.

Ena, however, was different. She was soft and gentle. She didn't hug Jareth or stroke his hair like Limstella sometimes did, but he still preferred her to Limstella. Ena was quiet and friendly. Her presence was soothing and warm. If he ever needed someone in the dark hours of the night, he'd go to Ena. She wouldn't hold him, but simply sitting with her brightened his mood. And his mood was quite dark most of the time.

Soon, Jareth discovered things about his godmother that made the feeling within him much stronger. He was still quite young when he had walked in on Limstella and Ena one night when they both thought he was asleep. Limstella was berating Ena over tasks not finished and chores not completed. Jareth watched as Limstella slapped Ena many times over, screaming and calling her harsh names.

"You worthless piece of garbage!" Limstella shrieked, slapping Ena's face while holding onto her arms so she couldn't escape. "You pathetic, clumsy idiot!"

Jareth continued to watch what was happening. He saw Ena's tears and heard her wails of protest. He turned from the scene, unable to look anymore. He slept very little that night. Instead he sat at his window and gazed out over the Underground, thinking.

Jareth confronted Limstella of that incident. "Why did you do that to Ena?" he asked. "Why would you hurt her?"

Limstella, who had been sitting in her favorite chair at the time, gazed up at Jareth with an eyebrow raised. "Why? Tell me Jareth, why would you ask such a question?"

Jareth, slightly taken aback, shrugged. "I just don't understand why you would do that. Ena works very hard to do as you ask, doesn't she?"

Limstella smiled. "There you are, Jareth darling. I slapped Ena because she wasn't working as hard as she should have been. Ena is nothing more in this world but my tool and therefore she must perform as a tool should."

The feeling in Jareth's stomach seemed to tweak at his insides as he heard this. "If Ena is a tool," he said, slowly. "What am I? Am I as tool as well? Am I your tool?"

Limstella blinked. "Of course not," she said, standing up and cupping his face in her hands. "In this world, my darling Jareth, there is two kinds of beings that exist. Those who are needed, and those who are not. Ena is the latter, you and I are the former. But we of the needed can still make use of those who are not. If we give those who are not needed some kind of purpose, it gives them hope. It makes them feel as if they really are needed, and that is what makes them so useful. If they serve you without question or complaint. If they slack in the purpose we give them, well we just need to remind them that without us, they might as well be dead."

Jareth shuddered at Limstella's words. Limstella grinned. "Ena knows this, Jareth, but even she can forget her place every now and again. So, I must remind her who she is. That is why I hit her, Jareth. There now, do you feel better?"

Jareth couldn't honestly say he did. But Limstella took his silence as consent and stroked his face lovingly. As she turned away, she didn't see Jareth rubbing his face where she'd stroked it, for it had burned unpleasantly at her touch.

Years passed since that incident before Jareth asked Limstella another question which she considered foolish.

"Limstella, tell me something. What does it mean to love someone?"

Limstella stared at him with surprise. He was nearing his hundredth year, but to the mortal eye he looked only ten years old. "Love? Jareth, my dear, where did you hear a word like that?"

"From the archives," Jareth replied. "I found records of Fae and mortals from the Aboveground uniting in love. I wasn't entirely sure what love was, so I asked."

"Love in itself is a very silly thing," said Limstella. "Love between Fae and a mortal is utter foolishness."

"Just answer the question," Jareth demanded.

Limstella let out a little, "humph" of disapproval. But then she said, "Love is something felt from being to being. It is the strongest emotion one can feel for another. To love someone you must be willing to do anything for them. You must forfeit everything for their sake. You must bend to their every whim, surrendering yourself to them. For them to love you in return you must rule over them, make them bend to you as you bend to them. They must fear you, for fear and love go hand in hand. They must be willing to do as you say, always."

Jareth stared. How did he feel about that answer? He didn't know. He hardly knew what to think. Limstella smiled at his silence than knelt down to his level. "But love isn't always so terrible. It can be a very good thing as well."

"Do you know what it is like to love someone?" Jareth asked, looking up at her.

"Why, yes," said Limstella, smiling. "Of course I do. I love you very much, Jareth my dear. I will do anything for you, you know that." She bent lower and planted a kiss in his hair. "For you," she whispered in his ear. "Limstella is nothing more than a slave."

Jareth trembled at her words. He tore himself from her and sprinted away. He locked himself in his room, rubbing his head furiously where Limstella's lips had touched him.

_Why,_ he thought. _Why is it that whenever she touches me, my insides burn? Why is it when she calls me those things, says those things to me, my whole being screams out in rejection!? I can't stand it when she does that. I can't bear her touch. But I don't understand. She's never been unkind to me. She doesn't slap me like she does Ena. But then why? Why do I . . ._

"Jareth!" Limstella's voice reached his ears. "Where are you? Come on now, it is time for our evening meal."

_. . . hate her so much I can hardly stand it?!_

Once he was able to recognize his feelings for what they were, Jareth did everything he could to see as little of Limstella as he could. Now that he truly realized that he hated his godmother, he wanted little or no part in her plans.

Then, when he'd grown to look around fifteen years old, he overheard Limstella and Ena speaking one night. This bit of eavesdropping was all it took for Jareth to choose his path.

Limstella was speaking when he started to listen to them. "He has so much potential, it is amazing. His magic rivals even mine. Jareth's birth parents must have been Fae royalty of some kind. He definitely bears the marks of regal descent. I knew I'd found a treasure when I found him. Once he stops aging, then we can begin with the real plan. Jareth and I shall rebuild the Fae race for what it used to be. With royal Fae blood and my powers combined, the remains of the old tribes shall unite under us."

"Will it be possible?" Ena asked, sounding small and a little weak. "Conceiving children is a very difficult thing for Fae to do. It is another drawback of being immortal. In exchange for eternal life, the ability to create life is hard for us. That is why Fae used to mate with mortals from the Aboveground. Mortals are more fertile and more likely to produce children than we are."

"With my power and Jareth's combined, that shouldn't be a problem," said Limstella, waving her hand. "No more of this disgusting talk of unions with mortals. That kind of behavior is what got the others in trouble. No, Jareth and I shall start the Fae race all over again. We shall live together over them all as Queen and King. A new age is dawning, Ena. We are almost there. I can feel it coming."

Ena hung her head, looking a bit ill. "And what will my place in that world be?" she asked.

Limstella raised an eyebrow. "Ena, you are my toy and I shall use you as I please. You are my most trusted advisor. You can hear the voices of nature and therefore you can inform me if there is anything I need to know. The Fae race is a tree that has been cut down and I shall be the one to nourish it back to life. You, Ena, will be able to tell me if there is any need to prune my tree. That is your place."

Ena closed her eyes. "Thank you, Lady Limstella," she said. "It gives me great

pleasure to know that I will be able to serve you in the new age."

"Your welcome, then," said Limstella, in a bored voice. "Now, off with you."

"Yes, ma'am," said Ena, bowing. "Good night."

Jareth watched Ena turn and leave. He stayed where he was, still watching Limstella. He knew that she had some kind of plan for him. Now he finally knew what it was. Limstella stared in the direction Ena had gone.

"But, of course, Ena dear," she said quietly to herself. "You shall not have any place in our age. I can't have you around at all. Jareth is too fond of you. I will have you disposed of the moment it is convenient and when Jareth is truly mine. I hope you understand, but I simply cannot have to deal with garbage like you longer than I have to."

The hatred in Jareth reached a terrible peak. He stepped forward out of his hiding place and let his presence be known to Limstella. Limstella started at the sight of him.

"Jareth, what are you doing here? I thought you'd gone to bed . . ."

"Garbage?" he said, looking at his godmother and letting his anger show. "Garbage? Is that really what Ena is to you?"

Limstella blinked. "A tool that is no longer useful becomes garbage," she said, simply.

"She's done nothing but serve you well," said Jareth. "And what is this I hear? A new age with me? I don't understand where you're coming from with this?"

"Of course you do," said Limstella coming over to him. "Once your aging is complete, then we can work together to build the Fae race back to how it used to be. We shall rule over all together as Queen and King. Wouldn't you like that, Jareth? Don't you want to be a king?"

Jareth's upper lip curled in a sneer. "So I _am_ a tool," he hissed.

"No," said Limstella, looking surprised. "Of course you aren't. You are much more important than that. You are powerful and handsome and have all the excellent qualities to be a Fae King. Don't you want that? My goodness, you are so stubborn. I work so hard to give you everything you want and you are so defensive about it. I only want to make you happy. Is that so horrible on my part?"

Jareth's whole body seemed to tremble in anger. "I'm not," he said, fury in every syllable. "I'm not a tool. I'm not a tool after all."

"No, you're . . ."

"I'M JUST YOUR _**PET!**_"

Limstella stepped back, looking surprised. Jareth was staring at her with cold hatred in his eyes. She'd never seen such emotion coming from him. But it didn't make her upset. It only made her angry.

"Don't be such an ingrate, Jareth," she snapped. "I'm doing what is best for you. That is all I ever do."

"You're not doing any of this for me," Jareth yelled. "You're doing it all for yourself. Buttering me up so that I'll gladly submit into being your means to an end. You only want to use me so that you can be a Queen among a ruined race. You expect me to help you, to be your loyal _dog!_"

Limstella blinked. "So what?" she said, simply. "So what if that is my plan?"

Jareth's eyes widened at her confession. Limstella raised a hand to her temple in annoyance. "Heavens, when did you become such a bother? You used to be so easy to deal with, Jareth? Ena is pathetic enough, I don't have need for another useless being under my wing."

"Shut up," said Jareth, his insides cold with hate.

"What did you say to me?!" Limstella cried in outrage.

"I told you to shut up!" said Jareth, his face had become a portrait of fury. "I'll never help you rebuild the Fae race. Do you hear me? NEVER!"

"You will do as you're told!" shrieked Limstella.

"I will not!" roared Jareth. "You were the one who always told me I didn't have to do something I didn't want to do. You can't make me do what I don't want to do. You can't make me do anything! YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!"

Limstella looked at him in shocked outrage. "How _dare_ you speak to me like that?! You little demon, Jareth! I haven't brought you up to be like this!"

"Stop talking, Limstella," commanded Jareth. "I hate the sound of your voice. It will only make me want to kill you!"

Jareth turned and fled the scene. That night, when he knew Limstella was asleep, he gathered all of his necessary possessions together. He sneaked through the Tower, but once he reached the door, a voice called to him.

"Are you trying to escape?"

Jareth turned. It was Ena.

"Yes," he said, shortly. "I'm leaving this place and I'm never coming back. Ever."

Ena bowed her head. "I thought you might, one day. I don't blame you for leaving this place. Is this because of Limstella's plans for you?"

"It is because of Limstella herself," said Jareth, darkly. "I can't stand her. I hate her, Ena. I really, really hate her. I'll not let her rule me. I'll not let her use me. I hate her for that, I really do."

"I understand," said Ena, nodding. "In that case, I hope you will find happiness out in the Underground."

Jareth paused. "If you like," he said, slowly. "You can come too. I'd feel better if you came with me, Ena."

Ena smiled sadly. "No, Jareth. I'm sorry. I cannot come with you."

"Why not?" Jareth asked. "Why can't you come too? Why stay here with her? She doesn't care about you. She'll not hesitate one second in hurting you or even taking your life. How can you remain loyal to that infernal creature?!"

"Because I have a purpose when I serve her," said Ena. "She gave me a reason to be alive. Because of that, I cannot abandon her. You're lucky, Jareth. You are needed in this world, I am not. That is why you have the strength to walk away from here and I wish you luck and happiness, where ever it may be."

Jareth stared at Ena, but then opened the doors to the Tower and never looked back.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Limstella was irate when she awoke and discovered her precious Jareth was gone. Being a Fae, she had the ability to control lesser creatures to do her bidding. She sent a swarm of fairies to comb the Underground for him, but to no avail. Jareth had disappeared with the intention of never returning.

In the years it took Jareth to finish aging, he explored the Underground looking for other Fae. He found them hidden in small groups, very far apart from one another. He spent years with them and learned many things from them. He met almost every last Fae left in the Underground, but never stayed too long. He didn't want them to get the idea that he wanted to unite them. He had no plan to go through with Limstella's original use for him.

While traveling through the Waste, he discovered a tattered civilization of creatures called goblins. The goblins were known around the Underground as being scavengers with delusions of grandeur. They wanted to live like the Fae of old, who resided in houses and had whole cities for themselves. But despite their skills in building and minor magic talent which only came in useful for hiding and never getting caught, all they managed to build for themselves was a few weak huts clumped together in the middle of the Waste, since their resources were so limited. They were considered a nuisance to other races and were banned from more fruitful environments.

You can imagine their surprise when a full grown Fae showed up in their village one day. Jareth's glory and power scared and surprised them. Jareth smiled at the creatures, for he had a plan in mind and these creatures were going to help him get it.

"You wish for a city of your own and to be treated as more than the meddlesome creatures that you are," he said. "Fine then. I offer you a deal. Build me a castle and make me your king. In exchange, I will build you an entire city around the castle. I will give you clothes like that of the Fae and will even grant you jobs and duties to fulfill. You are to listen to my every order and you will be rewarded or punished according to your work."

The goblins, though not a very sharp lot, knew what the only answer they could give was. Jareth provided them with the necessary materials needed and they built him a great castle according to Jareth's design and desire. They then made him a king over them, just as he asked. True to his word, Jareth built the goblins a great city all for themselves. They had houses, markets, streets and shops, everything they asked for.

And just like that, the Goblin City and the castle beyond it were created and Jareth was now Jareth the Goblin King.

Word of this wondrous new change did not fail to reach the Silver Tower. When Limstella heard of the creation of the Goblin City and Jareth's new title, she was furious. She marched to the Waste herself (getting lost twice in her anger), and marched through the gates of the Goblin City, for the rest of the labyrinth had not yet been built. She charged right into the castle and found Jareth sitting in his throne room, as if waiting for her.

"What in all the Underground do you think you're doing?" she bellowed at him.

Jareth stared coolly at his disowned godmother. "I don't see what you're complaining about, Limstella. Wasn't it you who said I was always meant to be a king? Well, your aspiration has been fulfilled."

"I aspired for you to be a king among your own people," said Limstella, her face reddening with each word she spoke. "Instead you've made yourself a king over . . . over a band of rats!"

"This 'band of rats' actually makes for a very good group of subjects," said Jareth, conversationally. "They never fail to do as I ask and they are quite capable despite their lack of smarts."

"I DON'T CARE!" screamed Limstella, making several listening goblins jump. "You are to return to the Silver Tower at once and start your destiny as you should. With me at your side."

Jareth stood up out of his chair. Limstella was startled at how tall and powerful he was now that he'd stopped aging. He advanced and she backed away.

"You where the one who would always give me what I wanted," he said, slowly. "All I had to do was ask, and you gave it to me. So give me this, Limstella. Leave this place and never set foot in this room, this castle, or this city ever again. I never want to see your face inside the gates of the Goblin City again. I don't want to see your face anywhere other than my worst nightmares. If you do come back here again, I will see to it myself that you are punished and it will be my hand that strikes the first blow."

Limstella was shocked. When had Jareth become so powerful? Her courage failed her. She backed out of the castle, but before she left she turned back to Jareth.

"You have caught me off my guard," she said. "So for now, I shall retreat. But I will return in a hundred years and if you don't agree to return to where you truly belong, I shall personally exterminate every single one of your pathetic rats, tear down your castle and your city and then force you to do as I please. You want to play dirty, Jareth my dear, fine. I shall play dirty."

Jareth watched her as she left. He knew she was right. She would come and she would not hesitate to destroy everything he'd built. The goblins were frightened. They turned to their king for advice. So, Jareth began to work.

First was the Junkyard. He collected the broken dreams from the Aboveground and littered them as a barrier around the Goblin City, allowing the Junk Ladies to live their and watch over it. Then he planted the forest and gave it to the Fiery race, who were waiting to 'play a game' with anyone who got lost among the twisting, winding trees. He dug underground tunnels, planted endless pathways of hedges and even more out of sandy stone. He created the False Alarms and the Shaft of Hands to distract unwanted victims, he dug the oubliettes for anyone who dared anger him.

Goblins where no longer the only creatures that lived in the labyrinth. He hired a member of the Fox clan who seemed to lack for a sense of smell to guard over the Bog of Eternal Stench which he used as a punishment for disloyal goblins or other misbehaving creatures. He allowed a monster to roam the hedges, for it was benign by nature and had nowhere else to go and the goblins seemed to like chasing it with Nipper Sticks. He had two four-headed guards who loved riddles to mislead any trying to make their way through the stone section of his great maze. He let several worms live in the walls of his creation. Lastly, Jareth poured so much magic into his creation that something unexpected happened.

After working for the good part of one hundred years, Jareth was completely exhausted from all the work. So, as Jareth slept to recover his strength, he had a strange vision. Amidst a swarm of nothingness, Jareth made an amazing discovery. A tiny girl. Her hair was longer than she was tall and the same sandy color of the walls of his creation. She seemed to have little or no personality of her own, but seemed to know only that she was connected to him. To his surprise, Jareth learned that he had put too much magic into his creation. He had accidentally given it a soul of its own. But the soul was gentle and friendly and he didn't hesitate in calling it his "favorite accident of all".

So, the labyrinth was born.

Limstella's outrage reached its peak when she discovered the labyrinth. She knew at first glance she would never, for the life of her, solve this giant puzzle Jareth had built just for her. She couldn't even find the entrance, for heaven's sake. Refusing to give up, she sent her fairies to fly about the labyrinth to find a path she could take to solve it. Jareth found out about this, so he hired a dwarf to watch over the gates, letting in only those allowed in by the Goblin King and spraying a special potion at the fairies that made them forget everything they just learned. He also taught the dwarf several of the shortcuts in the labyrinth so that, if Limstella ever did enter, he could come straight to the City and let the King know right away.

Though he preferred it to life in the Silver Tower, Jareth found being Goblin King a bit wearisome after awhile. When he craved some intelligent company, he would travel to the Aboveground and study humans for awhile. He found studying humans to be almost more intriguing than it had been to mingle with other Fae. They had no magic, but believed in it. Some even pretended to do it, so they could fool the others into paying them. In his owl form, he flew all over their world, seeing it all and learning from it. Visiting the Aboveground had been something he'd longed to do, but Limstella had banned it, for fear that he might become too fond of 'those vile things' from 'that place'. Visiting the Aboveground was just another rebellion that Jareth had taken against his godmother. It was lucky that it was.

He would never have found her otherwise.

Jareth had been flying over a place called 'New England' when he found her. He'd stopped to rest in a slightly forested area with stone benches and a stream filled with swans and bridges when he heard a strange sound. He went to investigate. There was a human girl sitting alone on one of the benches. She was curled up in a little ball, crying. This surprised him. He'd never seen anyone or anything unleash their feelings so freely and openly before. Jareth watched and watched the little girl as she wept. Something unfortunate must have happened in her short lifespan. But she was still young, so she'd still have time to make up for it. Jareth left, unbothered.

When he visited again, he was tempted to go back to the park, wondering if he'd see the crying human again. He was sure he wouldn't, you hardly saw the same human in the same place twice, but there she was. Just like before she sat crying on her bench. He watched and watched, wondering what in both worlds could have made her so upset.

Jareth went back Underground but couldn't take his mind off the crying human girl.

"She just sits there," he said, pacing through his throne room, which was empty except for his most trusted advisor. "Every time I see her there, she's sitting there weeping."

"Perhaps this human child is in need of your assistance," said the Prophet of the Labyrinth.

"My assistance?" said Jareth, raising an eyebrow. "How on earth am I to assist her?"

The Prophet held out a small red book.

"What is that?"

"It is a book," said the Prophet. "It contains a story about our world. She will merely see it as fantasy. I hear that human children like stories. Perhaps she will be happier if you gave her this nice book."

Jareth took the book from the Prophet and returned to the Aboveground. Sure enough, there was that dark-haired girl, crying away. Her face was buried in her hands, so it was easy for Jareth to sneak quietly next to her and place the book beside her on the bench without her noticing. He then quickly hid in a tree and watched her.

Her tears suddenly subsided. She lifted her head out of her hands and saw the book. She looked around, no doubt curious as to where it had come from. She picked it up and began to read. Jareth watched her as she did so. Despite the fact that the tears had left her face puffy and her green eyes were swollen, she was a very pretty little thing. Creamy skin framed by raven hair, pink lips and emerald eyes. Jareth suddenly got a strange feeling in his stomach. Not at all like the one that Limstella had given him. This feeling was the polar opposite of that feeling.

Something in the book seemed to amuse her. Her mouth curled upward in a smile as her eyes scanned the pages. Then, Jareth's heart gave a strange pang, she opened her mouth and let out a small giggle of laughter.

"Bog of Stench," she said, still giggling. "That's funny!"

Jareth couldn't take his eyes off her. He had to remind himself to breathe on several occasions. Every fiber of his being wanted nothing more than to be close to this girl. He wanted to watch and watch forever. He wanted more than to watch. He wanted to speak to her, hear her voice, and touch her face. But, he didn't know her name.

"Sarah!"

Jareth tore his gaze away from the lovely creature to see a dark haired man heading toward her.

"Sarah," he said. "Come on, now. Let's go home."

"Okay, Daddy," said the beautiful girl. She got up and left with the man, who was undoubtedly her father.

Jareth let out a sad sigh as he watched her go. But at least he had a name now. Sarah. Sarah of the Aboveground. The lucky human who had captivated the Goblin King mind, body, and soul.

"What ever you wish for, Sarah," Jareth pledged as he watched her go. "Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you. I swear it."

Jareth watched Sarah grow lovelier and lovelier. When he was Aboveground, he'd watch her in his owl form. When he was Underground, he gaze at her through his crystals. It didn't take him long to realize that he had fallen in love with this girl. It was just as Limstella had told him. He wanted nothing more than to give her anything she wanted. He wanted to give her everything, but also receive everything. That book the Prophet had had him give her seemed to contain some story about a girl running through the labyrinth and defeating the Goblin King who lived there. Alright, if Sarah wanted to run the labyrinth, then all she'd have to do is say the right words. He had sworn that he'd give her anything and everything she wished for, and so he would.

Jareth watched as Sarah grew into a young woman. He felt eager and excited for the day they would meet face-to-face. What would she think of the labyrinth? Would she like being Goblin Queen?

_Goblin Queen,_ thought Jareth, a smile crossing his face. _Ah, what a lovely ring it has to it. We'll meet soon, Sarah, very soon._

_Just say your right words._

_/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/_

For the second time, Sarah awoke from her dreams in tears.

**Ying-Fa: (Sigh) Finally done! I think you can all figure out what happens from then on. We'll get back to Sarah in the next chapter. It gets intense from here on in. Sorry it took so long. I hate college math classes! DIE COLLEGE MATH! Leave reviews and I shall come back more quickly.**


	15. Bloodied Hands

**Ying-Fa: This is where it gets scary. But I warn you, do not abandon me! If you do, you'll never know what happens. You have been warned. NO MATTER HOW BAD IT LOOKS, STAY WITH ME AND KEEP REVIEWING, I IMPLORE YOU! Here's the next chapter. **

Sarah sat up. She wasn't laying in the field where they had stopped to rest. She seemed to be in Ena's wagon. The floor wasn't rocking beneath her, so they seemed to be stopped. Sarah looked out the back of the wagon and saw that they were surrounded by drooping, creepy trees and wet, sticky terrain.

At that moment, Hoggle and Sir Didymus came into the wagon. "My lady," said Didymus, happily. "Thank goodness, thou hast awoken at last. We were beginning to be afraid."

"Didymus, where are we?" Sarah asked.

"We are in the Marshes," answered Didymus. "Lady Ena has gone to collect some fresh water for you. She thought you'd need it."

"Yes," said Hoggle. "We tried to wake you up this morning, but you were out like a light."

"Sawah wake," said Ludo, peeking his large face into the wagon to see Sarah was up.

"My Lady, we are almost there," said Sir Didymus, pointing out past Ludo to a tall shadow in the trees. "That is the Shadow Temple just up ahead."

"Then why aren't we moving," said Sarah, looking desperately around. "We don't have time! We have to hurry. We have to get there now!"

"Well, we have to wait for Ena," said Hoggle. "Don't worry about Jareth, Sarah. We both know he's tough. He'll be fine for a little while longer."

"No, Hoggle," Sarah insisted, starting to get to her feet. "It has to be now. I have to see him now!"

Sarah passed her friends and hurried out of the wagon. Her feet made squishing noises as she stood on the uneven, wet ground of the Marshes. Just above the murky trees she could see the shadow of a tall building with turrets and towers.

"Is that the Temple?" Sarah asked.

"Certainly, my lady," said Sir Didymus. "Have no fear. The moment Lady Ena rejoins us; we shall set out and be there in a matter of hours. You shall be with His Majesty before long, sweet lady. Just a little longer."

Sarah stared back at the Shadow Temple. It still looked far away. She was afraid. She didn't know if she could wait a few more hours. All she knew was that she had to see him soon. Now, if she could. Sarah wanted to see the Goblin King _right now_ because something was telling her that she needed to be there _right now._ "Just a little longer," she said, repeating Didymus's words. "I don't know if we have a little longer."

"Don't have longer for what?" asked Hoggle, raising one eyebrow.

"I don't know," said Sarah, fear flooding her. "I just need to see him soon. Very soon. I can't keep postponing it. I need to be with him right now!"

"My lady!" Didymus cried suddenly. "Look yonder!"

Sarah turned in the direction Didymus indicated. There was an orangish glow in the distance. As they watched, it grew brighter and brighter.

"What is it?" Sarah asked.

"No idea," said Hoggle. "Wait, does anyone else hear hooves?"

They did. As the glow became brighter, the sound of hurriedly moving hooves suddenly filled the air. Not only that, Sarah could smell burning wood. She looked at the oncoming disturbance and let out a gasp of surprise.

"It's coming this way!" she cried.

"Run!" screamed Hoggle.

The four companions ran out of the way just in time. Seconds later, Ena's wagon was crushed to pieces beneath the golden hooves of two blue horses with flaming manes and tails. The mule ran away in terror, the harness it was still rigged to was ablaze. The horses were pulling a large yellow caravan and, sitting at the front and guiding the horses, was a beautiful woman.

The woman pulled at the reins and the horses stopped. The four friends stared at the woman as she leapt off the caravan and walked toward them. Sarah knew who it was. She'd just seen her in her dreams, watched as Jareth declared his hatred for her.

"Oh no," Hoggle whimpered, trembling all over. "It's her. The Fae Witch! LIMSTELLA!"

Hoggle turned and tried to run for it. Limstella pointed a finger at the retreating dwarf. A long, silver chain shot forth from her finger and wrapped itself tightly around Hoggle's ankle. Limstella yanked on the chain and Hoggle fell to the ground.

"Hoggle!" Sarah cried, hurrying over to him. "Are you okay!?"

Didymus growled threateningly at Limstella. "So, thou art the rumored Fae Witch," he said, glaring. "Come to hinder our quest, eh? Alright then, I shall fight you to the death!"

"Oh, do shut up," said Limstella. The end of the chain binding Hoggle shot toward Didymus and wrapped itself around his waist then shot off again and snared Ludo's arm before latching itself to a tree. Ludo gave a roar of confusion and yanked on the chain that was binding his arm. As he did, Didymus and Hoggle were pulled clean off their feet and landed in a heap beside Ludo. Limstella cackled with delight.

"What a pathetic band of beings," she said, sneering at them. "Just as I expected."

"Hoggle! Ludo! Sir Didymus!" Sarah cried. She ran over to her friends and tugged at the chain binding them all together. But was unbelievably strong and it was all linked together so she couldn't free them.

"Don't bother," said Limstella. "Only a Fae can break my enchanted chains. No pathetic mortal is up to the job. So, you're Sarah, are you?"

Limstella walked over to Sarah and put two fingers under her chin, forcing her head upward to look at her. "Hm," she said, eyeing her critically. "My, my. You certainly are an ugly little thing, aren't you? None to bright, either, according to the company you keep."

"Don't you dare!" cried Hoggle, trying in vain to free his ankle. "Leave Sarah alone!"

"How dare you insult her!" said Didymus, brandishing his staff threateningly. "You evil fiend!"

"Sawah!" Ludo growled, looking scared.

"I'm surprised," said Limstella, as if she hadn't heard them. "To think he'd pick such an ugly little beast. I'm disappointed in him. Ah well, it will have to do."

"What do you mean?" Sarah said, pulling her face away from Limstella's harsh fingers. "What do you want with me?"

"With you?" said Limstella, reaching for Sarah's face again. "There are many things I want from you, Sarah of the Aboveground. Firstly, I need your face to enter the Shadow Temple. Secondly, I need your voice so as I can use it to save Jareth. Thirdly, I wish to tear you limb from limb and feast upon the remains for what you have done to Jareth, you disgusting wretch."

"What are you talking about?!" Sarah protested, pulling away again. This time, Limstella's nails scratched her chin painfully.

"You don't know anything about the Fae, do you?" Limstella asked, advancing on Sarah. "Do you, you stupid little girl? In exchange for immortal life, there are many sacrifices that we must make in order to sustain it. One of these sacrifices is our hearts. The heart of a Fae is a very fragile thing, you'll find. Therefore, we must distribute it with great caution."

"Distribute?" said Sarah.

"A Fae is allowed to give up their heart only once," said Limstella. "To love only once, forever. If we choose to love, we must make sure that it is requited by the other. No Fae can live with a broken heart. No one."

"But," Sarah protested. "But . . ."

"That is why I was most aggrieved when I learned that Jareth had fallen in love with a human," said Limstella, darkly.

"But, he wasn't," said Sarah. "That was just the story. It wasn't real . . ."

"Silence!" Limstella hissed, warningly. "Jareth was in love and you rejected him, you little viper."

"How could you know?" snapped Hoggle. "How could you possibly know anything that went on in the labyrinth? Jareth banned you from ever going in there."

"I heard on good authority, you little wart," snapped Limstella. "You, Sarah, broke his heart and therefore condemned him."

"What . . .?"

"Why do you think he traveled to the Shadow Temple? Why would he set foot into a place of Fae death? Why did he even become ill in the first place?" Limstella said, advancing on her. "It was all because of you. You broke his heart and therefore brought about his end. You are what caused his illness; you are what is draining him of what little life he has left, even as we speak. Now he's dying and it is all because of you."

"No!" cried Sarah. "That can't be it! I didn't mean to! I was just trying to rescue Toby . . ."

"I said SILENCE!" screamed Limstella, slapping Sarah across the face. Her friends all yelled out in fear and fury.

"Sarah!"

"Sawah!"

"My lady!"

Sarah put a hand to her cheek, tears of pain and horror clouding her eyes. She looked up at Limstella through her veil of tears. "I didn't mean it," she sobbed. "I didn't mean to. I was only trying to help my brother! I would never have said those things to him if I knew they would actually hurt him. I thought they were just words. I had no idea what they would do. Please . . ."

"Oh, don't waste my time with begging," said Limstella, coldly. "What is done is done and what is said is said. As we speak, his life dwindles, you worthless girl. Woe betide you if he is not alive when I get there."

"You're going to the Shadow Temple?"

"Yes," said Limstella. "I am in perfect health and have no desire to perish, so the spirits within will do me no harm. I'd have gone in sooner if Jareth hadn't cast a spell against me. The spirits won't let me inside, but they will let you in, my dear."

"Me?"

"Yes. He may have been dying for a good three years now, but even now it is not too late. Your harsh words are what is killing him and now it is your words that will save him. If he hears the right words, his heart will mend and his will to live shall be rekindled."

"Then let us go!" Sarah insisted. "I'll go to him. I'll go right now! I'll run the whole way if I have to. Let me go to him. I can save him."

"No, I don't think I shall," said Limstella. "I shall enter the Temple _disguised _as you and then _I_ shall say the words that will save him. Disguise or none, he will think that it is you who have come to him and his love for you shall pass onto me. He will love me and together we shall restore the Fae race, just as I'd planned for him from the beginning."

"But he doesn't like you," said Sarah. "He's told you that hasn't he? Isn't everything he's done, building the labyrinth and becoming Goblin King, just his way of telling you how much he hates you?"

"He's made that clear by now, yes," said Limstella.

"Then why aren't you dying!?" Sarah asked, confused as she'd never been. "He broke your heart. Why are you still fine?"

"My heart? Broken?" Limstella laughed. A cold, sharp noise that sent chills of terror down Sarah's spine. "My heart is not broken, my dear. Do you think I love Jareth? I may have told him so, but I really don't. He's just a means to an end. Nothing more. He, like Ena, is nothing more than my pawn. He is, after all, my tool."

"You're SICK!" Sarah cried, backing away. "You're absolutely, totally SICK!"

"At least I'm not a cold-blooded murderer," said Limstella, coldly. "Not like you. If Jareth dies, it is all your fault. You destroyed his heart, and therefore destroyed him. That's as good as putting a rope around his neck or sticking a knife into his chest. That makes you a murderer, my dear. You're a killer. _You killed him! EVERY DROP OF BLOOD HE HAS SPILLED IS ON YOUR HANDS!_"

"NO!" Sarah cried, tears falling down her face. "No no no no no no no!"

"How dare you!?" roared Hoggle. "How dare you say that to Sarah!? She didn't do nothing! She's been working really hard to find Jareth! She want's to say sorry! She ain't no murderer and you know it! Sarah, don't listen to her! Don't listen to a word she says!"

"Enough," said Limstella. "I've had enough of this. It is time to go, Sarah of the Aboveground."

Another chain appeared in Limstella's hands. She threw it at Sarah and it wrapped itself around her throat. Sarah let out a cry of fear and surprise before she felt something horribly wrong happening to her. Her three friends watched in horror and Sarah began to shrink before their eyes. She grew smaller and smaller until there was nothing but a pile of clothes and with a small lump quivering inside them. Limstella tugged on the chain. It retreated from the clothes and, brandishing it like a whip, Limstella turned it into a cloak, like the one Ena had worn when she was pretending to be Jinx.

Limstella threw the cloak on over he shoulders and she began to change. Her honey-colored curls suddenly became sleek and black. Her face went from angled and mature to rounded with youth and creamy skinned. In a matter of seconds, Limstella had become the image of Sarah.

There was a tiny mewing sound coming from the pile of clothes that lay where Sarah once stood. Everyone looked at them. Emerging from the collar of Sarah's shirt was a small black kitten. Its green eyes were wide and it quivered in fear.

"SARAH!" Hoggle screamed. "Oh no! Oh _Sarah!_"

Limstella laughed again. This time she sounded just like Sarah, only Sarah's laugh had never sounded so evil. "I think I like her better this way," she said, Sarah's voice escaping her throat. "She's much more attractive."

"My lady!" cried Sir Didymus. Then he gasped. "AMBROSIUS, NO!"

Ambrosius suddenly charged after the kitten, who took off in terror. The others watched as Ambrosius chased the terrified cat, Limstella was laughing, the others were crying out in fear.

"SIT, AMBROSIUS, SIT!" Sir Didymus yelled. "NO, DON'T CHASE HER! BAD DOG! BAD DOG!"

The kitten darted through the wet marsh, fleeing from Ambrosius in terror. Limstella summoned another chain and it wound and twisted itself into a cage. She lowered the cage into the kitten's path and it ran headlong into it. Ambrosius barked and barked as Limstella lifted the caged cat and went over to her caravan.

"You'll stay here," she said, looking at the scared little kitten in the cage, and placing it on a hook hanging from the top of the caravan's ceiling. "Mind you, if he's dead when I get there, you shall join him in death. And it will not be such a peaceful end as his."

The kitten gave a tiny 'mew' of misery. Limstella chuckled darkly at her before stepping out again.

"YOU VILE WOMAN!" screamed Sir Didymus. "UNCHAIN US AND FIGHT WITH HONOR!"

Limstella ignored him. She began rummaging through Sarah's things. She found the black pouch and looked inside.

"Ick," she said. "What is this? Why would she carry around dirt and twigs?" She turned the bag upside down and the pieces of the labyrinth fell onto the ground and, for good measure, Limstella crushed them with her shoe. She then took Sarah's clothes and threw them into the back of the caravan. "I might need to dress as a human later, so those could come in handy."

"What are you gonna do to her?" Hoggle asked, panic-stricken. "What are you gonna do?"

"That depends on if Jareth is alive or not," said Limstella, simply. "If I save him, her death shall be quick and but not so painless. If he is dead when I get there than it will be the slowest, most excruciating death you can imagine."

"No!" wailed Hoggle. "Please! Just let the little lady go! She didn't know Jareth would get sick! If she's hurt, it's all my fault! Let her go, please!"

"You should have taken better care of her," said Limstella, coldly. "You should not have been so trusting, either. Shouldn't they, Ena my dear?"

They all turned. Ena was hiding behind a tree, watching the scene. She hung her head, her eyes closed as if in pain.

"Lady Ena?" said Didymus. "No, it cannot be . . ."

"Ena kindly lead you all right into my arms," said Limstella. "Just like the good little tool she is."

Ena turned away from the scene, her face buried in her hands.

"My lady Ena!" cried Sir Didymus.

"Well, I've wasted enough time talking to you beasts, I think," said Limstella, taking her place at the driver's seat of the caravan. "Jareth is waiting and I must use this disguise to get in at once. Ena, my dear, do you wish to come along?"

"No," said Ena, miserably.

Limstella raised an eyebrow. "Fine then. I'll come back with Jareth. Or with a new pair of cat-fur gloves." And, with that, she snapped at the reins and the Heliopathic horses took flight, burning a path through the marshes towards the Shadow Temple.

Ena fled from the scene, abandoning Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus. _No, my lady Limstella,_ she thought, whipping tears from her eyes. _You cannot save Jareth. If he hears false words, even from someone who looks like the one he loves, that will only finish the job Lady Sarah's words started. He will only die sooner. If Lady Limstella says anything to him, even disguised as Lady Sarah, his life will end completely. Oh, Jareth. Lady Sarah. Forgive me._

_/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/_

_"Sarah? Sarah? Sarah, where are you?"_

Rin called and called out Sarah's name. She'd suddenly felt Sarah's presence was gone and didn't know how to contact her again. What had happened? Had she lost the pouch? Did Sarah no longer have the piece of her that made them able to speak to one another?

_"Sarah!? Sarah? Please answer me, Sarah!"_

"Have no fear, Labyrinth," said a new voice. "It seems that Jareth's beloved has lost contact with you. Do not worry. I shall go to her.

Rin turned around to see who was talking to her.

_"Prophet?"_

**Ying-Fa: I'm telling you now! Don't flame me! Don't abandon me! Don't stop loving me! More will come, I swear! It is not over! There is more to the story. It is not too late, it only looks that way. Please, BE GENTLE!**


	16. The Prophet

**Ying-Fa: Never drink a Mountain Dew slurpee right before bedtime! I'm exhausted! Okay, where did I leave off?**

**Nagini-chan: Let's see. Jareth is still dying, Limstella showed up and stole Sarah's identity before turning her into a cat, Hoggle and Ludo and Didymus were chained to a tree, Rin can't contact Sarah anymore, and you mentioned something about the Prophet, whose identity shall be revealed in this chapter.**

**Ying-Fa: Wow. All that? Oh, well. Here's the next chapter for you. Regard me kindly.**

Sarah was completely trapped. Through the bars of the swinging cage, she looked around the caravan. There was a bed in one corner next to a few shelves that were full of strange things like plants and parts of animals in jars. Other than her cage, there were half plucked turkeys and dead snakes hanging from hooks on the ceiling of the caravan.

Sarah curled up in her cage. She wasn't used to this new body and she didn't like it. Moving with four paws was very hard for someone who had spent their whole life on two legs. Her eyes and ears seemed to be sharper than usual, which would have been exciting if she could have seen more than pickled rat guts and heard more than Limstella humming tunelessly in Sarah's own voice.

Before long, the caravan came to an abrupt halt. Sarah's cage swung forward and she was tossed painfully into the wall. She heard Limstella hop lightly out of the driver's seat and walk away. They must have reached the Shadow Temple. Sarah's insides writhed in misery. The Goblin King lay dying in that Temple and if Limstella found him, she'd trick him using her face and he'd be trapped in a false love forever. He'd think he'd be with Sarah, but all there would really be is Limstella.

_I can't tell what's worse,_ Sarah thought. _The Goblin King living a false existence for all eternity, or for him to die. Oh, I don't think I can bear it if he died. If he dies, it's my fault. It was me saying those words that did it to him. I was the one who made him sick. It's my fault. My fault! I can't stand it. I can't live with it. If he died then I'd . . . I'd be a MURDERER!_

Sarah let out a scream of misery that came out as a piercing cat's shriek. She was so close to her goal. She was so close to him. She was only a few feet away and yet they were miles apart at the same time. She couldn't get out of this cage and she couldn't get herself back to her original form. She was completely stuck. Her friends were gone, the Goblin King was dying, she'd lost contact with Rin when she lost the pouch, and there was nobody else who could help her.

She'd failed. She'd come so far and tried so hard and she failed. The clock had struck thirteen. It was all over.

_It's hopeless,_ Sarah thought, miserably. _I can't do anything right, can I? It's impossible._

"Sometimes, the impossible is more possible than it seems."

Sarah raised her head and gave a meow of surprise. _You!_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Limstella walked up the steps leading up to the doors of the Shadow Temple. She felt rather uncomfortable. The human girl was smaller than she was and it was difficult to maneuver her tiny body around. Nevertheless, Limstella walked onward. She reached the doors and opened them.

Inside was the Hall of Remorse, a room filled with stone replicas of all the Fae that had passed away in this Temple. She looked around at the statues. None of them looked like Jareth, but that wasn't saying much. He could be on death's door, for all she knew. Suddenly, the stone faces all turned to face her.

"_**Why have you entered this place? What is your purpose here?**_"

"An unnecessary death is about to take place here," said Limstella. "I wish to have the life of Jareth the Goblin King and Lord of the Labyrinth spared."

"_**Jareth the Goblin King and Lord of the Labyrinth is here,**_" announced the voice of the Temple's spirits. "_**Enter, but tread cautiously. The peace of the Shadow Temple must not be disturbed.**_"

Two more doors at the end of the Hall of Remorse opened, leading to the rest of the Temple. Limstella groaned when she saw what was in front of here. There were endless doors and passages and several many ways to go.

_Just what I need,_ Limstella grumbled. _Another chance to get lost. Oh well. I won't get anywhere if I just stand here. A shame Ena didn't come too. I could use her help._

And so the Fae Witch, masquerading as Sarah, began her wanderings through the Shadow Temple.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah stared in utter amazement at the Wise Man. He looked just as he had when Sarah had first met him in the labyrinth. Short and wrinkled, long beard and mustache, pale eyes, tattered clothes, long fingers, and his talking hat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said the Hat. "You sure got yourself into a pickle there, didn't cha?"

The Hat used its beak and pecked at the lock on Sarah's cage. The door swung forward and she leapt out joyfully. Sarah landed painlessly on her four paws and hurried over to her clothes, which Limstella had thrown carelessly onto the floor.

"If you'll stay still, my dear," said the Wise Man. "I shall undo that dreadful spell upon you." The Wise Man pointed one of his long fingers at Sarah. At once, her clothes flew around her securely in a kind of cocoon. She felt herself begin to grow. Her paws turning back into hands and feet, her fur shrinking back into her and becoming bear skin, her cat's fangs returned to human teeth and her cat ears, whiskers, and tail all vanished.

Sarah looked down at herself, clothed and completely returned to normal. "That was incredible," she said. "Thank you so much. How on earth did you find me here?"

"Eh?" said the Wise Man. "Oh, yes, um. Little Labyrinth told me where to go."

"Labyrinth? Oh, you mean Rin."

"Oh, yes, um. You see, young lady, she was most frightened when she lost contact with you and I came to see what had become of you on her behalf."

Sarah stared. "But, I thought Rin only talked to the Goblin King."

"Normally she does," said the Wise Man. "But she also speaks to me. I am, after all, the Goblin King's most trusted advisor, aren't I?"

Sarah gaped at the Wise Man, realization hitting her with enough force to knock over a cart horse. "It's you, isn't it? You're the Prophet of the Labyrinth!"

"Ding! Ding! Ding!" cried the Hat. "Give the girl a prize!"

"But," said Sarah. "Hoggle said . . ."

"What?" said the Wise Man. "Oh, yes, um. Your friend from before? Oh, he wouldn't know about my being the Prophet. His Majesty and Labyrinth are the only ones who know me as the Prophet, my dear. To everyone else, I am nothing more than a simple Wise Man. It is quite a straining thing, you know, being a Prophet. Everyone asks you for power and prophesy about every little thing. As a Wise Man, I can simply give out useful advice and everyone is happy."

"Ha!" said the Hat. "Useful? Who do you think you're foolin'? I hear the things you say to others and it's just a bunch of crap!"

"Will you please be _quiet!?_" bellowed the Wise Man, glaring up at his Hat.

"Fine, fine," grumbled the Hat.

The Wise Man glared at his Hat for a little bit longer, then sighed and smiled at Sarah. "You must be swift, young woman. The Goblin King is in need of you. His life dwindles away quickly. If you are to save him, then you must go to the Shadow Temple and find him."

Sarah lowered her gaze. "I . . . I don't know if I can," she said, sadly. "I mean, do I have that right? I made him sick in the first place. What if I do go and see him? He'll probably be furious at me. He'd wonder how I got the gall to come to see him at a time like this."

"But you do not know how he will react," said the Wise Man. "I'll bet that he will be very, very pleased to see you."

"How can you know that?" Sarah asked, becoming tearful again.

"'But what no one knew,'" said the Wise Man. "'Was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he'd given her certain powers. So, one night, when she was tired from a day of housework and she was hurt by the harsh words of her stepmother, and she could no longer stand it . . .'"

Sarah stared at the Wise Man. "The story?" she said, in astonishment. "You know about it?"

The Wise Man smiled and reached into his tattered robe. From within it, he pulled out a small red book.

"_The Labyrinth_!" cried Sarah. "My book! But, how . . .?"

"It is also mine," said the Wise Man, simply. "I had His Majesty give you this book when you were a little child. I had him give it to you because you needed to have it. This is no ordinary bedtime story, young lady. This is a prophesy. My prophesy. This is the record of what I knew would happen between you and his Majesty when he came to whisk your infant brother away when you requested he do so."

"You knew?" Sarah asked in amazement. "You knew what would happen? Even when I met you the first time, you knew what my being there meant. Oh, why didn't you tell me!? Why didn't you let me know what my words would do to him?"

"All I can do is see the future," said the Wise Man. "I have no power to change or alter it. In the prophesy, it was my duty to give you advice and accept your contribution, and so I did. Besides, I gave you the advice you needed."

"You did?"

"The way forward is sometimes the way back," said the Wise Man. "Don't you remember? This is what I meant when I gave you that advice. I wasn't talking about solving the labyrinth; I was talking about now, with the Goblin King's fate in your hands."

"I'm not sure I follow," Sarah admitted.

"You've tried moving forward after your adventure in the labyrinth, didn't you?" said the Wise Man. "You tried to grow and blend into your surroundings of the Aboveground, but you couldn't do it. You kept going back to your time in the Underground, where you felt truly happy and at home."

Sarah marveled at what he was saying. "You're right," she said. "I tried to forget about the labyrinth and move on, but I couldn't. I took a step back. I came back to this place and now I finally feel like I'm moving forward. I feel like I'm actually getting somewhere. I have a purpose now. To go forward, I had to go back."

"Well, well, then," said the Hat. "I guess it wasn't such crap after all."

"But, what do I do now?" Sarah asked. "Where do I go from here?"

The Wise Man closed his eyes thoughtfully. Both Sarah and the Hat stared at him intently. "I see," said the Wise Man, slowly. He let out a deep breath then looked back at Sarah. "Nothing."

"Nothing!?" Sarah protested.

"I knew he had nothin'," said the Hat, dully.

"Fate is far too clouded in the situation, my dear," said the Wise Man. "Because you are too clouded. Your mind and heart are conflicting with each other. But he hasn't the time. If Limstella reached the Goblin King, then his life is over."

"What?" Sarah asked in horror.

"It took six words to break the heart of the Goblin King," said the Wise Man. "It only takes half that many to save him. But they must be meant. Limstella will not mean the words if she says them to him. If he hears false words, his already shattered heart will not be able to bear it."

Sarah stared at the Wise Man with tearing eyes. He smiled benignly at her and patted her hand in a grandfatherly way. "Search your heart, my dear. Do you have any affection for the Goblin King? Any at all?"

She closed her streaming eyes. As the tears slid down her cheeks, she thought long and hard about how she felt. She was battling inside herself, unable to come to a conclusion.

_He took Toby._ I asked him to. _He made me run the labyrinth._ And I loved every second of it. _He's mean and cold._ He's not a bad person; I just made him out that way. _What would he want with me? _But after everything he's done for me, I've seen it for myself. He cares for me. _He . . . we aren't even from the same world._ Haven't I already decided that this is my home? _He . . . he . . . he . . ._ I . . . I can't bear it if he dies. _I . . . _I . . .

"Y-y-yes," sobbed Sarah, her shoulders shaking and her eyes streaming. "I d-d-d-do. I really, really do."

"Then that is all you need," said the Wise Man, kindly. "Now, listen to me now, my dear. The Shadow Temple should let you in when it sees that your intentions are good and your heart is pure. You must hurry to the Goblin King and tell him what you know you must tell him."

"O-okay," said Sarah, whipping her eyes. "But Limstella's already in there. She'll find him first."

"Limstella? Ha!" cried the Hat. "There's no way she'd be able to navigate through the Shadow Temple. That place is huge and everyone knows she can't find her way out of a potato sack."

"But then, how will I get there?" said Sarah. "What if I get lost?"

The Wise Man reached back into his cloak and pulled out his little contribution box. He turned it upside down and wriggled it around a bit. Out of it fell a small, shiny ring.

"My ring," Sarah realized. "The one I gave you last time."

"Oh, yes, um," said the Wise Man. "But now it is a piece of the labyrinth, since you gave it to me. Wear this, and you will be guided right to His Majesty's side."

Sarah took the ring. It used to fit on her right hand ring finger, but her hands had grown since then and now it was too tight. She slid it onto her pinky. It stayed, but it was very loose.

"While the box is out," said the Hat. "Please feel free to leave another contribution."

Sarah looked around for something to contribute. She looked down at her shirt and noticed that the buttons on it were had a pretty pearl sheen to it. She took the one at the very bottom of her blouse, plucked it off, and dropped it into the box.

"Mochas gracias," said the Hat.

"You're welcome," said Sarah. "But, tell me, what will happen if I'm too late? What if I meet Limstella? She'll kill me if she sees me in there."

The Wise Man didn't answer.

"Excuse me?" said Sarah. "Wise Man? Prophet?"

"Zzzzzzzz," snored the Wise Man.

"Um, I'm afraid that's your lot, little lady," said the Hat. "See ya!"

And just like that, the Wise Man and his Hat vanished from before her.

Sarah didn't waste any more time. She burst out of the caravan and gazed up at the massive building before her. The Shadow Temple loomed darkly over her, but she wasn't about to hesitate. There was no more room for hesitation.

_Wendy gave up Neverland._

Sarah rushed passed the Heliopathic horses, who tossed their heads in alarm as she ran.

_Alice gave up Wonderland. Dorothy gave up Oz._

She ran up the stairs leading up to the heavy doors, which she pushed open using all the power she possessed.

_But I'm not giving up the Underground! I'm not giving him up! Please, Goblin King, wait for me! I'm coming, and when I get there . . . I'll tell you what it is I need to say._

Sarah rushed through the doors of the Temple and gasped at the sight of the beautiful and sorrowful looking statues that suddenly surrounded her. They all seemed so blissful but they scared her somehow. As the doors closed behind her, the stone faces turned to her.

_**"Why have you entered this place? What is your purpose here?"**_

"The Goblin King is here," said Sarah. "I've come to see him. I need to talk to him. Please, let me see him.

_**"Name yourself, stranger. Mind you answer correctly, those of the Shadow Temple do not allow for liars."**_

"My name is Sarah Williams," Sarah answered. "I am a human from the Aboveground."

_**"The Goblin King and Lord of the Labyrinth has commanded that he be undisturbed by anyone. His spell has forbidden unwanted visitors from reaching him. Only one may go to him, and they have already come in here."**_

"Please," Sarah begged. "I have to go to him, I just have to. I need to talk to him. He'll die if I don't."

There was suddenly a roar of sound and Sarah was surrounded by darkness. She felt like her entire body was being pressed in on. It was as if she was being squeezed out of a tube of toothpaste. The Temple was fighting against her, but she refused to submit.

"I don't care what you say," Sarah screamed into the dark and the terrible pressure. "I have to see him. I will see him. I must!"

Just as suddenly as it had started, it was gone. Light and relief from the pressure came back and Sarah let out a breath of relief.

_**"Your determination and will power have proved you worthy,"**_ said the voice. _**"For these reasons, you may enter this temple. But be warned, Sarah Williams of the Aboveground, tread cautiously. The peace of the Shadow Temple must not be disturbed."**_

Two doors at the end of the hall opened. Sarah sighed in happiness. "Thank you," she said to the room at large and she rushed through the doors.

_Hang on, Goblin King, I'm coming for you. Don't die on me. I won't be a murderer. Hold on._

**Ying-Fa: Short, I know. I'm sorry, but at least that should put your minds to ease somewhat. Right now, I have a headache and am going to take a nap. Please leave your reviews after the beep. BEEP!**


	17. Forgive and Forgone

**Ying-Fa: Really quick, I would like to thank you all for sympathizing with Ena. I was afraid people wouldn't like her, and I'm glad you do, to an extent. She's had it rough. Oh, and a little fun fact, the different powers of the plants she creates are based of the actual language of flowers. Thank you for being kind to her. Please enjoy.**

"_This is not a dream that I'm living,_

_This is just a world of your own,_

_You took me from all that I knew_

_Shown me how it feels to hope_

_With you with me, facing tomorrow together_

_I can learn to fly_

_Feels like I'm living in the lion's mouth,_

_But the lion is an angel"_

**- From "Lion" by Rebecca St. James.**

Ena leaned against a tree, her hands pressed hard against her face to hide her tears from the world. What a horrible thing it was that she'd done. She had had to choose between Limstella and Sarah and she couldn't bear it. If she gave Sarah to Limstella, then she would condemn both Jareth and Sarah to death. If she helped Sarah and betrayed Limstella, then she would have condemned herself to death.

_I'm such a coward,_ Ena scolded herself as she cried silently. _Now two innocent others shall suffer do to my cowardice. How could I have done this? But what else could I have done?_

Ena reflected on what had happened just before Limstella had taken Sarah away from her friends . . .

_Sarah had been sleeping in the wagon as Ena had rode on with Sarah's companions. Ena had come to quite like the three creatures. They were entertaining as a trio and seemed very devoted to Sarah._

_"Behold!" cried Sir Didymus. "The Shadow Temple doth lie yonder! Be of stout heart, the end is upon us."_

_"Excellent," said Ena. "We are almost there."_

_"Um, should we wake Sarah up?" said Hoggle, sounding worried. "She's been asleep for a long time now."_

_"Poppies tend to do that," said Ena. She pulled on the reins and the mule slowed to a halt. "I think there is some fresh water nearby. I'll go fetch something for her when she awakens. I believe she will need it."_

_But it wasn't water that she went to find. After leaving the three creatures, Ena headed into the woods away from them to where someone was waiting for her. After awhile, she found her._

_"Well," said Limstella. "Where is she?"_

_"Just over there," said Ena, keeping her head bowed. "She's asleep in the wagon. I came alone so that I wouldn't alarm her friends."_

_"Good," said Limstella, readying her Heliopathic horses. "Very good work you've done today, Ena. I shall see that you are properly rewarded later."_

_Ena hesitated for a moment. "Lady Limstella," she said, suddenly. "I beg your pardon, but what will you do with the labyrinth?"_

_"The labyrinth?" said Limstella. "That wart upon the face of the earth? Oh, I'll probably burn it to the ground or flatten it or something. There will be no need for it when Jareth is mine. Why do you ask?"_

_"Well, um, I . . ." Ena was having difficulty speaking out of fear. "I was, um, wondering if I could, um, keep it."_

_"Keep it?"_

_"Yes," said Ena, breathlessly. "J-Jareth said it would be alright if I took it after he passed away. I-I've thought about it and, um, I would like it very much if I could keep it."_

_"You want to live in a jumble of walls that is infested with rats and other disgusting rodents?" said Limstella, looking very surprised. "Are you saying you'd prefer that to where you are now? Well, I don't care. Go ahead and keep it for yourself, if that is what you wish. Become Rat Queen for all I care."_

_"Thank you," said Ena, bowing. "Thank you very much."_

_"Whatever," said Limstella. "However, if you set foot in that labyrinth, do not expect me to take you back if you should come out. If you decided to live in that stone garbage heap then you are no longer welcome within my sight. If you do come back to me afterward, I will have no choice but to take your life. Understand?"_

_Ena nodded sadly. "Yes, my lady."_

_"I'm glad we understand each other," said Limstella. "This is actually fortuitous for me. Jareth and I will not need you in the new age to come. I thought the only way I could detach you from my side would be to take your life. This is much easier and much less messier." Limstella snapped the reins and the horses rode off._

Ena let out a long sigh of misery. Living in the labyrinth would be agony after what she'd just done, but she was so very afraid of Limstella. She couldn't bear to think of living under Limstella's power any longer. Every day she'd wake up and be terrified that it would be the day Limstella would finally kill her. Now, if she dared set foot in the labyrinth and crossed paths with Limstella again, that day would surely come.

Ena took her face out of her hands. The branches on the trees were all bending towards her, worried about her distress. Then she heard the voices of the trees speaking to her.

. . . ._ Something comes . . . something strange . . . one of us lies dead . . . together it moves . . . ever slowly . . . forever charging ahead . . . _

"Something is coming?" said Ena, quietly to the trees. "A tree lies dead? What has happened?"

But then Ena heard voices. She hid herself and listened intently. Then she heard them. Three unmistakable voices marching in her direction.

"Be of stout heart, my comrades in arms! The fair maiden needs us!"

"(huff)(puff) Slow down, Didymus! Ludo and I can only go so fast!"

"Heavy!"

Ena then saw the strangest sight she'd ever seen. Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus were charging through the Marshes, still chained together by Limstella's magic chain. The tree that Limstella had bound them to was currently being carried over the shoulder of the giant Stone-Caller.

"Bear with it, brethren!" said Didymus, walking as fast as the chain around his waist would allow. "We must not let that foul witch harm our fair lady."

"Oh, this is all my fault," said Hoggle sadly as he tried walking with his chained ankle.

"Come now, Sir Hoggle," said Didymus. "We mustn't blame ourselves."

"But I should," said Hoggle. "Jareth knew this would happen. Or else, he knew something like this would happen. He knew Limstella would do something to Sarah if she came back. That's why he made me promise to send her back home if she ever came back here."

"The Goblin King gave you a command to send her back?" said Didymus, sounding shocked. "Sir Hoggle! I am most sincerely sorry. I had no idea you were given a duty. I did notice your reluctance to aid the young lady on her quest. Now I know the reason. Forgive a foolish knight."

"It ain't your fault," said Hoggle. "I didn't try hard enough. But Jareth must have known about this. Don't you remember that promise he had us make to him just after Sarah left?"

"But of course," said Sir Didymus. "He said to us, 'Swear to me that you will never utter Sarah's name outside again. Keep to this promise and I'll spear you from punishment.' I thought he was just bitter, but now I see the truth of his actions. He didn't want Limstella to hear her name through the wind. He has been trying to protect her all this time!"

"Yeah," said Ludo. "King and Sawah friends."

Hoggle grumbled. "Somehow I think it's more than that," he said, grumpily.

"Sir Hoggle," said Didymus. "Would you be reluctant about that? If His Majesty and the sweet lady were to fall in love, would you resent her?"

"Wha? No!" said Hoggle, stiffly. "I can't resent Sarah, no matter what she does. I can't say I like Jareth and I probably never will, but if . . . well . . . if he . . . y'know . . . makes her happy . . . then I don't care."

Ena watched as the three creatures struggled onward. They astounded her. They pressed onward, moving awkwardly, having dug up an entire tree, to save their friend. Ena hung her head. _Why couldn't I be like that?_ _Why can't I have the courage to press onward even when it seems impossible? _

Suddenly, Hoggle gave a loud cry of disgust. Ena's eyes snapped back to them. They'd come to a stop, their feet stuck in a large dark puddle.

"Yuck!" cried Hoggle. "What is this stuff? Wha? Hey! I'm stuck!" Hoggle tried to pull his feet out of the ground, but they wouldn't give. He only seemed to sink deeper into the ground. Didymus and Ludo where having the same trouble.

Ludo roared in discomfort. The more he struggled, the more he sank. Sir Didymus was already in past his knees, as he was the shortest.

"Oh no!" said Hoggle, realization hitting him.

"It cannot be!" cried Sir Didymus, also understanding. "It's . . . It's . . ."

"Quicksand!" bellowed Ludo.

Ena watched as the three creatures began to sink steadily into the natural death trap, her mind in turmoil. She wanted to save them, but Limstella had given her orders to let them be. They would die, but did it matter in the new age to come? They had been so kind to her, but they weren't worth anything. She should just ignore them. Ignore them. _Just ignore them!_

_I CAN'T!_ Ena screamed in her mind. _I CAN'T JUST IGNORE IT!_

Ena used her magic to bring forth a long eucalyptus branch. At her bidding, the branch grew at a rapid rate reaching away from Ena and heading toward the sinking friends.

Ludo was the first to spot the branch. He dropped the tree that was weighing him down and grabbed it. At once, the branch pulled the large monster out of the quicksand and onto dry ground. Still tied together by Limstella's chain, the other two creatures were pulled to safety as well. Once the three were safe, the eucalyptus buried itself in the quicksand and flourished into a tree around it, protecting anyone from the same fate.

"The eucalyptus tree," said Sir Didymus, staring at the large plant in amazement. "The tree of protection, it is."

"Someone's saved us," said Hoggle, sitting up and brushing quicksand off his shoes. Then he looked around. "Ena!"

Ena had left her hiding place, her mind made up. She walked right over to the three creatures and took hold of the chain binding them and tugged. It broke cleanly and fell off of the creatures.

"Lady Ena," said Sir Didymus, but Ena cut him off.

"I understand that I cannot be forgiven for what I've done," said Ena, looking at the ground. "But, please understand, it tore my heart to shreds to tell Lady Limstella about Lady Sarah. If you hurry, you may still be able to save her. I do not seek your forgiveness, for I know I'll never get it, but at least I feel somewhat at ease." Ena turned to leave, but she felt a hand on her arm.

"But," said Hoggle, slowly. "But I do forgive you, Ena."

Ena's head snapped around to face the dwarf. "What?"

"I forgive you," repeated Hoggle.

"As do I, my lady," said Didymus, nodding to her.

"Yeah," said Ludo. "Ena good."

"But, but," Ena was completely flustered. She couldn't understand what they were saying to her. "How could you forgive me? After all I've done? How can that be?"

"Well," said Hoggle, with a slight shrug. "I'd be the world's biggest hypocrite if I didn't forgive you. I know what it's like to get bullied by a Fae, (trust me, Jareth doesn't waste a single opportunity to do that) and it is a scary thing to go against. So, I forgive you."

"And I commend you," said Didymus. "I have seen goodness and beautiful qualities in you that are rare and very special. You are a wonder among women, Lady Ena, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the help you have just given us."

"Ludo and Ena friends," said Ludo, smiling widely at her.

Ena stared at the kind creatures. "But . . . but . . ."

"It is not too late yet," said Didymus. "Come and help us save our fair maiden and be free from that wicked witch that enslaves you."

"Yes," said Hoggle. "I'm sure Sarah will forgive you as well, Ena. She's good at that, you know."

"Ena come," said Ludo.

Ena shut her eyes as hot tears burned in them. They slid down her face as she heard Jareth's laughter and his surprised remarks in her head.

_"Ah, my dear Ena. You _do _have a rebellious streak in you after all."_

"Yes," said Ena. "Yes, you're right. I will help Lady Sarah. I want to help Lady Sarah. I want to help Jareth. I . . . I want to be of use. I want to be needed."

"Of course you are needed, my lady," said Didymus. "We needed you just now. Without you, we would all be dead and gone in the depths of the quicksand."

Ena whipped her tears. "Thank you, noble sir," she said. "I . . . I will go. I will be of use. I will fight against Limstella."

"That's more like it!" said Hoggle, enthusiastically. "Well then, let's go bag that hellcat what calls herself Limstella and save our Sarah!"

"Right then!" said Didymus. "To the Shadow Temple with us. TALLY HO! HA HA HA!"

And so, the now four companions traveled together to save Sarah.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah ran as fast as she could through the halls of the Shadow Temple. The ring she'd gotten back from the Prophet was guiding her, telling her which hall to go down and which door to go through. All the while, Rin's voice was echoing in her mind.

_"Through there! Right, Sarah, turn right. We're getting closer. Hurry, Sarah, Hurry!"_

But Sarah wasn't the only one navigating through the temple. Limstella, already deep into the temple, kept running through different halls and trying each door, hoping to reach her goal. She knew Jareth wasn't far. She could almost feel his presence. Her future, her key to being ruler over the most powerful race in all the Underground was just within her reach. If only she'd stop getting lost . . .

The two women kept running down the same passages, but avoided meeting each other. Once or twice, Sarah just barely managed to whip around a corner and out of sight as Limstella entered the hall or room that Sarah had just left.

They were close; both of them very, very close to Jareth. Sarah was guided by her ring; Limstella was running off her considerably larger head start. Little did they both know that time was ticking away faster that they could imagine.

Before long, Limstella opened the door to a room and cursed loudly. "Argh! I've already past this room TWICE! Grr! Why are these things so complicated?" She reached out her hand to close the door and noticed something. Her hand was her own hand, and not Sarah's. She conjured up a chain that twisted itself into a mirror and looked at her face.

Limstella screamed loudly. She saw herself in her reflection, not Sarah as she should have.

"But, that is impossible," said Limstella. "I stole her identity! I should look like her! Why don't I look like her anymore?" Limstella's insides suddenly grew cold with outrage. "Someone has been interfering with my magic. How DARE they (whoever they are)!? If I no longer have her identity, then she must be back to normal. Will she be able to enter the temple? Grr! I have to find Jareth and I have to find him now!"

The chase went on. Sarah going one way, Limstella in another. Both running as fast as they could, looking for the same thing. It was a confusing and urgent chase. The Temple was so big and powerfully magical. Even with Rin's help, Sarah still managed to find dead ends and a few locked doors along the way.

_"Oops!"_ Rin cried in despair the third time this happened. _"I'm sorry, Sarah. My mistake, my mistake! I'll be more careful. It's just that there is so much magic in this place, I get confused. Oh, Sarah, I'm scared. You have to hurry and find him. You have to!"_

"I know Rin," said Sarah, turning around and taking another route. "I know."

Left, right, and left again. Up the stairs, down these stairs, around the corner, through the hall. The chase went on, both seeking, neither finding.

Then, at last, at long last, one of the seekers opened the doors to a room that contained a large bed with clean sheets and soft pillows. A death bed.

And, lying in the deathbed was the Goblin King. His face pale and his eyes closed.

**Ying-Fa: You know why I cliff hang you all the time? Number one: it'll keep you coming back for more. Number two: I feel that is the best way for chapters to end. Number three: it just feels so deliciously evil. I like it! Ha ha ha! Now, push that little purple button and give me those delicious reviews!**


	18. Wicked Hand of Death

**Ying-Fa: There are just a few more after this. Those who have stayed with me this long, stick around for just a little bit longer. My meanest chapter yet! Stay with me and then you shall know what happens. 200 reviews, I'm thrilled! (some pretty scary ones too after that last chapter) WARNING: READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER, NO MATTER WHAT!!**

"No!"

Sarah ran over to the unconscious Goblin King. He was dressed in loose-fitting, soft black clothes and his boots were gone. She ran over to him, the ring barely clinging to her pinky finger slipped off and fell to the ground as she ran. He didn't so much as flinch when she jumped onto the bed beside him and didn't acknowledge her at all when she grabbed his shoulders and gently shook him.

"No! Goblin King, no!" Sarah cried. "Wake up! Please wake up! It's me. It's Sarah. I'm here."

He still didn't move or open his eyes. He remained pale and still. Sarah stared hard into his face. The Goblin King she knew, her Goblin King, wouldn't deliberately ignore her like this, not when she was crying for him as if her life depended on it.

"Goblin King! Goblin King!" Sarah shrieked, but it sounded wrong. The words sounded uncomfortable in her mouth as she said his title. And she knew why. That was not how things should be if she was going to save him. "Goblin . . . no . . . J-J-Jareth! Wake up, J-Jareth! Please wake up! It's me, Sarah!"

Still, Jareth remained motionless.

"Please, J-Jareth, please," moaned Sarah, tears leaking out of her eyes. "Don't do this. You can't be dead, you can't. I've come such a long way to be here. Do you hear me? I've been a long way to see you. Why didn't you tell me you were sick? I could have helped you. I want to help you. That's why I came all this way to the Shadow Temple. I want to help you."

Sarah placed a trembling hand on Jareth's face. It was cold as marble. Her tears began to fall more furiously as she felt how cold he was.

"This is my fault," she said. "I should never have said that. Why didn't you tell me what those words would do to you? I would never have said them to you if I knew they would hurt you. J-Jareth, please, don't die on me. I can't take it. Don't make me a murderer, I beg of you."

Sarah leaned closer to him, determined to find anything. The tiniest breath, the slightest rise and fall of his chest, that was all she wanted. Any sign at all that she wasn't saying all of this when it was already too late. But she needed to say it. Because that's the way it is done.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered," Sarah said, softly. "I have fought my way here to the Shadow Temple, to your side, to be with you. My will is as strong as yours and my kingdom is as great, but they'll crumble if I don't have you with me. Please, Jareth, please don't leave me. Not now. Not when I've come all this way."

Still, Jareth did not respond. Sarah let out a cry of frustration and misery. "You once asked me to fear you, I do! I'm afraid that you'll leave me and I'll never see you again. You asked me to do as you say, I'll do it! If it'll make you come back to me, I'll do anything. You said you'd be my slave. I don't want a slave, I want you. You once asked me to . . . to love you. I . . . I . . . Jareth, I do. Jareth, I love you."

She leaned as close to him as she could without touching him. "Do you hear me?" she whispered. "Please, Jareth, I love you." And she covered his lips with hers. Sarah poured everything she felt into her kiss, praying he would feel it too. But Jareth's lips were cold and unresponsive. She pulled away very slowly, but nothing had changed. Jareth's eyes remained closed. He lay completely still. Sarah took that for what she knew it was. She let out a scream of misery and threw herself onto his chest.

"No!" she screamed. "Not now! Not when we're so close! Don't do this to me! Don't leave me! Come back, I beg of you. Jareth! JARETH!"

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!**_"

Sarah raised her head off of Jareth's chest. She turned around and stared in pure terror at the figure who had just entered the room. Limstella stood there, clutching at her honey-colored curls and screaming in fury. The Fae Witch marched over to the bed, grabbed Sarah by the hair and threw her away from Jareth. Limstella then placed a hand on Jareth's cold forehead and her eyes glowed with evil anger.

"So," she snarled. "Your sins have taken their toll. Jareth has paid the price for your stupidity and complete lack of reality."

"No," moaned Sarah, struggling helplessly to get to her feet. "No."

"Your evil actions are complete. You have ruined everything. HE IS DEAD!"

"No!" screamed Sarah. "Please, no! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean to! I love him! I love him so much! Please, have mercy . . ."

"There is no mercy for murder in the Underground," said Limstella. "You have destroyed my future. And now, little girl, I shall take away yours."

Sarah sprinted. Half-running, half-crawling away from Limstella. Limstella's magic chains chased her, but she slammed the door of Jareth's room and blocked them. She ran through the Temple as fast as she could, not knowing where she was going or what she was doing. She heard Limstella behind her, heard her chains clanking threateningly after her. Sarah didn't know where her feet where taking her. All she could see through her tears was Jareth's pale face. All she could hear was his voice.

_Your eyes can be so cruel._

Something hard and thin wrapped itself tightly around Sarah's ankle. She tripped and fell down a staircase she had been about to descend. She curled up defensively as she toppled down the stone steps, banging her arms, legs and back as she fell.

Sarah landed on the ground in a crumpled heap, pain all over her, her eyes still swimming in tears. She looked up at Limstella as she advanced on her, walking down he steps with a long knife in her hand.

"You took away my chance to be a queen among my people," said Limstella. "You ruined everything I've worked for."

"No," sobbed Sarah. "You ruined it. You never loved Jareth like I do. Your words would have killed him. It didn't matter either way."

"YOU DARE BLAME THIS ON ME!?" screamed Limstella. "This is your doing and yours alone."

"I KNOW that!" shrieked Sarah. "I KNOW what I did to him, okay!? You don't have to tell me!"

"May there be mercy in your next life, you pathetic little wretch," said Limstella, raising the knife as she came closer and closer. "Are you afraid, little girl? Do you feel the fear of death?"

Sarah made no move to get up or run away, she watched Limstella come closer, her eyes on the knife. "No," she said, honestly. "I'm not so afraid."

"Then be ready to die, you mortal whore!" screamed Limstella.

"Fine, kill me," yelled Sarah. "I don't care. If I die, my soul will go up to heaven and then I can see him again. I'll be with Jareth again . . . sniff . . . AND THEN I CAN TELL HIM HOW I FEEL!"

"SARAH! NO!"

Just as Limstella was within striking distance of Sarah, a large eucalyptus branch came out of nowhere, wrapped itself around Sarah's arm, and pulled her away from the advancing witch. Sarah stared around at the branch and followed it to the hand that was holding the other end.

"Ena!" cried Sarah.

"ENA!" roared Limstella.

And there she was. Ena bent down over Sarah and examined her bruised and tear streaked face. She conjured a small yarrow plant and ran it along a bruise on Sarah's face. At once, the bruise vanished.

"Ena, what in the entire Underground do you think you are doing?!" yelled Limstella. "What is your problem!? Don't you know what she has done?"

"Enough," said Ena, softly. "Please, Limstella, enough. That's enough, please."

Limstella stared at Ena in disbelief. "What?"

"This poor girl has been through enough," said Ena. "Jareth has been through enough. Please, for pity's sake, let them be. Leave them be."

Limstella gaped at her slave. "I don't believe it," she said, slowly. "You've come all this way, done all I have asked, only to betray me here and now?"

"If you mean that I wish to aid these people," said Ena, sounding braver than she looked. "Then yes, Limstella, I'm betraying you."

Limstella stared at her slave, looking utterly abashed but then the evil anger returned. "Then you shall die as well."

The Fae Witch pointed her free hand at Ena and another chain shot forth. It wrapped itself tightly around Ena's throat, cutting into the sensitive skin there. Ena cried out in pain and fear as the chain hoisted her into the air, strangling her.

"ENA!" screamed Sarah. "No! Leave her alone, please!"

A loud roar suddenly filled the room. Ludo bounded right past Sarah and Limstella and took hold of Ena, lifting her slightly so that the chain would no longer strangle her. She gasped and choked, tugging fruitlessly on the chain that was wrapped around her like a noose.

"Disgusting creature!" shrieked Limstella. "How did you get in here?"

"Hold!" cried another voice. Sir Didymus and Hoggle arrived. The dwarf made a beeline right for Sarah, but the knight went right for Limstella, brandishing his staff.

"You have harmed these fair maidens for the last time, you creature," said Sir Didymus. "In their honor, I shall fight anyone, anywhere, any place, any time! En garde!"

"Didymus, no!" wailed Sarah, but it was too late. Limstella had already turned her knife into a long sword and she and Didymus began to duel.

"Sarah," cried Hoggle, looking closely at Sarah's face. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you at all?"

"Not really, Hoggle," said Sarah, pleased to see her oldest friend with her again. She took comfort in Hoggle's being there. She needed someone with her right now. Ludo was still supporting Ena, trying everything he could to keep her alive while she struggled to remove the chain around her neck. Sir Didymus and Limstella were both fighting elegantly, his staff and her sword clashing delicately with each stroke and each parry.

"Sarah, now's your chance," said Hoggle. "While Didymus has her distracted, get outta here and go find Jareth!"

At the sound of his name, Sarah's heart broke all over again for the one she loved. Hoggle didn't know. She and Limstella where the only ones here who knew. "H-Hoggle," sobbed Sarah. "Oh, Hoggle, I was too late. It's over. I blew it."

"What?!" Hoggle said in disbelief. "You can't . . . you don't mean . . ."

Sarah let out a wail of misery. "He's gone, Hoggle! He's gone and it's my fault! I did it all! I . . . I killed him, Hoggle! I killed him!"

"No," said Hoggle, in distress. "No, you didn't Sarah. It wasn't your fault."

Sir Didymus swung his staff at Limstella. It whacked her wrist and her sword fell out of her hand. "Ha!" laughed Sir Didymus. "Thou must do better than that! Ha ha ha!"

Limstella reached for the sword. It picked itself up and soared right past Didymus and back into her hand. Didymus stopped gloating just in time to block her next attack. "Ah ha!" he said. "Touché, madam, but this is where it comes to a close. Surrender and throw down your weapon and I'll see that you are well treated!"

"There will be no surrender on my part, sir knight," said Limstella, savagely. "Nor will I grant you one. You dare challenge the Fae Queen, you worthless creature, and now you shall learn your place."

"You are no queen," said Didymus, swinging his staff threateningly. "Not among the Fae, not among anyone. Your greed and wicked ways have destroyed any chances of that when His Majesty abandoned you."

"And that means what?" Limstella snapped. "Don't tell me you creatures would rather have had that mortal whore!"

"How DARE you?!" bellowed Sir Didymus and he began fighting with renewed vigor. "How DARE you speak of my lady like that!? She is brave and true, honest and kind, and a much better person than you. That is why she obtained the Goblin King's love, and that is why she shall conquer you. Evil never triumphs, no matter what! She is more a queen than you will ever be and I shall defeat you on her behalf!"

"Try all you like, rodent!" hissed Limstella. "You can't defeat me."

"I needn't defeat you," said Didymus. "It is against the nature of a knight to strike a lady, even one as vile as you! All I have to do is keep you engaged until the Shadow Temple sees fit to intervene."

"What?" Limstella's eyes widened. She knew what Didymus meant, but she couldn't afford to lose now. She had to end this now. She attacked Didymus with more power, but he was smaller and more skilled than she. Limstella used her sword to pin Didymus's staff to the ground, but Didymus sank his sharp teeth into her hand, causing her to shriek in pain. She dropped her sword and Didymus attacked again. But Limstella, though disarmed, wasn't about to lose to him. She dodged as Didymus lounged at her and conjured another chain, which wrapped around the knight's leg.

Didymus growled in fury and tried to reach around and bite the chain, but Limstella used the chain to swing Didymus around, like a lasso. She spun him faster and faster, with more vigor and violence with every turn.

"Sir Didymus!" cried Sarah.

"Didymus!" yelled Hoggle.

"Brudda!" growled Ludo.

"Sir Knight!" gasped Ena.

With one last swing, Limstella unclasped the chain from off Didymus's ankle. All eyes turned to watch as Didymus flew clear across the room with terrifying speed.

SMACK!

Didymus hit the opposite wall with a terrible sound that was something between a thud and a snap. Didymus slid down the wall, very slowly, and landed dully on the floor. He didn't move.

"DIDYMUS!"

Sarah ran over to her fallen friend, Hoggle right behind her. Ludo roared and reached for his sworn brother, but didn't dare to drop Ena. Sarah knelt down beside the knight. He was spread-eagled on the ground, his staff held loosely in his limp hand. His good eye was closed and his mouth hung open.

"Didymus! Didymus!" cried Sarah. "No! Please, Sir Didymus! Stand up!"

The little knight refused to obey her. Sarah's already shattered heart splintered as she realized what she was seeing.

"No!" she screamed, burying her face in her hands so she wouldn't have to look at her broken friend. "Not you too, Didymus, not you too! Oh, don't do this to me, please!"

"It's . . . it's . . . it's not happening," said Hoggle numbly, reaching out timidly to Didymus. "It . . . it _can't _be happening."

New, hot tears poured from Sarah's eyes as she looked upon what was left of her bravest of friends. His brave voice echoing in her mind.

_"Fear not, fair maiden, I will save thee . . . somehow."_

_"My lady! Thank goodness thou art safe at last!"_

_"If that is the way it is done, then that is the way you must do it."_

_"Remember, fair maiden, should you need us . . ."_

_"Even if it means facing the wicked hand of death, I shall aid you in anyway possible."_

"SIR DIDYMUS!"

Didymus's name was torn from her throat as Sarah collapsed next to the little knight, her eyes overflowing and her voice mimicking the wails of misery that echoed deep in her heart.

Limstella stared at the mourning party. She knew this wouldn't settle well with the spirits. She had to end this and end it now. While the others were so focused on the fallen knight, she picked up her sword and charged at Ludo. Ludo tore his eyes away from his "brother" to see her advance. With the arm that wasn't supporting Ena, he reached out and grabbed the blade.

"OW!" roared Ludo as Limstella pulled on the sword and it cut right through the tough skin of his claw, which immediately began to bleed freely.

Sarah looked up. "LUDO!" she screamed, getting up and running toward her friend. Sarah threw herself in front of Ludo, shielding him from Limstella.

"Stop it!" sobbed Sarah. "Please, just stop!"

"You can't seriously expect me to do that," hissed Limstella. "You and these vermin ruined everything I've worked for."

"No!" cried Sarah. "I did! It was just me! I already told you, you can kill me! I don't care anymore. Just leave my friends alone, you've done enough!"

"Lady . . . Sarah . . . no!" choked Ena.

"Just stop," sobbed Sarah. "Please, stop hurting my friends. Let them be, I beg of you. If you want your revenge so badly, take it. Take it out on me. Just stop hurting them."

Limstella's eyes flashed and her face was set. "So be it."

"Sarah, no!" cried Hoggle, running over to her.

Limstella raised her sword and positioned it right above Sarah's heart. Sarah closed her eyes. How much would she feel? Would it hurt?

_I'm coming, Didymus . . . Jareth . . ._

"SARAH!"

Suddenly, the sound of shattering filled the air. Sarah's eyes snapped open. Limstella's sword had deep cracks in it and, after a second, the blade crumpled and fell to the ground in metal shards. In the next second, the chain wrapped around Ena's neck snapped and she collapsed in Ludo's arms. Limstella looked down at the ruined sword in shock then turned around to look through a doorway at the other end of the room. Sarah and the others looked around too. Sarah turned too and stared in disbelief at what she was seeing.

Walking slowly out of the darkness, mismatched eyes fixed on Limstella, was none other than Jareth the Goblin King.

**Ying-Fa: See? Have some faith in your good friend Ying-Fa. I was going to have this last paragraph in the next chapter, but odd were I'd be getting a lot of death threats, so I was nice to you. It's all uphill from here. Leave me reviews. You know I love them.**


	19. Pleasant Dreams

**Ying-Fa: Oh em gee! I am on the second to last chapter! It is almost that dreaded time, my friends. Very soon, this story will draw to a close. All those who have been with me from the beginning, thank you. For those who have only just discovered it, be glad you didn't have to wait for my cliffhangers like everyone else did. Please enjoy.**

"Jareth!" cried Limstella, staring in disbelief as her disowned godson drew nearer and nearer. "You're alive!"

"Yes, I am," said Jareth, conversationally. "No thanks to you, of course."

Sarah stared at the two Fae. Jareth was walking straight for Limstella, who looked almost afraid to move. He started moving in a circle around the Fae Witch, his eyes cold with malice.

"No thanks to me?" said Limstella, her upper lip curling unpleasantly. "It is that mortal wretch that broke your heart and lead to your doom."

"Silence," hissed Jareth, his eyes colder and crueler than ever they had been. "You have no right to speak here. You were banned from the Shadow Temple, Limstella. You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't have entered this place."

"Fool," snarled Limstella. "I came here to spear your miserable life and this is my thanks?"

"You could never have saved my life, Limstella, and we both know it," snapped Jareth.

"Is that so?" Limstella scoffed. "And what makes you say that?"

"Because I hate you," Jareth said, coldly. "I hate everything about you and that is one thing that will never change. You are full of delusions of being a queen of a destroyed race and you view everything and everyone around you as tools to be used at your disposal. You know nothing other than hate, greed, and ambition. The only thing you love is you and ideas of yourself surrounded by assets. That will never change about you. You cannot love and so you cannot have saved me."

"At least I do not take the hearts of others and smash them to pieces like your mortal scum," hissed Limstella. "She was the one who was killing you, Jareth, and even now you bend to her will? Even now bend your knee to an otherworldly piece of trash? Even now . . ."

"Yes, Limstella, even now," said Jareth, harshly. "I know it is difficult for you to understand, but what Sarah and I share is something you cannot understand."

Jareth was still walking around and around Limstella, like a vulture eyeing a fresh new corpse. Limstella revolved slowly on the spot, keeping her eyes on him at all times.

"If that is how you feel then fine," said Limstella. "I'll just finish the job your mortal started and kill you, her, that treacherous Ena, and these other vermin."

"No you will not," said Jareth, more coldly still. "You will not kill anyone within this Temple. I told you before; you shouldn't have entered this place. If you want proof that it was a mistake for you to come here, look down at your hands."

Limstella looked down and stared in utter horror at her hands. Sarah saw that they had suddenly become bony, wrinkled, and age-spotted. They were the hands of a crone.

"You've disturbed the peace of this sacred place," said Jareth. "And now the spirits are acting against you. Just look around."

He was right. As the party looked around, strange shadows were suddenly circling around them, just like Jareth was doing to Limstella. There were soft echoes coming from the shadows. Eerie voices whispering words in a language that Sarah couldn't understand. As they drew closer still, Limstella began to change rapidly. Her skin was becoming wrinkled and age-spotted like her hands. Her teeth, once white and straight, were turning brown and her honey-colored curls suddenly faded to dull silver.

"This . . . can't . . . be!" Limstella shrieked, her voice raising and sounding much older and feebler. "It just . . . can't be!"

"You disturbed the peace in a place of Fae death," said Jareth, harshly. "You shed innocent blood within its walls. You have broken the very oath you made when you entered this place, and now you must pay the price."

"NO!"

The shadows around them started to take shape. Sarah could make out arms, legs, heads and torsos, but no faces or distinguishable features. They were about the size of children but appeared flat as paper and fluid. These shadows closed in on Limstella. One of them crept behind her and threw its arms around her waist, like a child embracing their mother. Limstella screamed bloody murder and tried to pry it off her.

"Unhand me!" she screamed. "Unhand . . ."

Limstella suddenly clapped a hand to her mouth. She spat into her hand and unleashed another blood-curdling scream. Several brown teeth had fallen out of her mouth. She raised her hands to her head only to scream again when a handful of silver hair fell away from her scalp and into her hand. One by one, the shadows reached out and wrapped themselves around Limstella in their horrible embraces. Each time they did so, Limstella's aging grew worse and worse.

"_Noooooo!_" Limstella wailed, but she no longer sounded like herself. Her scream was that of an old crone and not the beautiful witch. "_You cannot do this! I am the Fae Queen! Jareth, Ena, help me! Help me, you fools!"_

Jareth only backed away from Limstella, unwilling to go near the shadows that had entwined themselves around her waist, neck, knees and both wrists. Ena cowered behind Ludo, tears falling down her face as she gazed at what was left of her master. Sarah, Ludo, and Hoggle all watched in terror as Limstella seemed to be sinking downward into the floor, the shadows dragging her down, down . . .

"_Jareth! Help me, you fool! Make them stop! Who will give you what you want now? How will you fulfill your destiny now? Ena! Serve your master! Be the slave you were meant to be! Aide me now! JARETH! ENA!"_

"Stop it!" Sarah screamed as the withered hag sank even lower. "You can't hurt them any longer. You can't tell them what to do. They are free of you now. Go away! Don't ever come back! Do you hear me? Never come back. Go away and don't hurt them any longer!"

"_VILE GIRL!_" screamed Limstella. Only her head and shoulders were visible now. The shadow children having almost succeeded in pulling her down. "_YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!_"

"There was nothing to ruin in the first place," yelled Sarah. "You have nothing here. Being dead is all that you're good for now. Leave them alone! Leave us alone!"

"_NO! I CANNOT DIE! I HAVE NO WISH TO DIE!_"

"Too bad!" said Sarah, furiously. "Because it wants you! You hurt Ena. You hurt Jareth. You hurt Ludo. You killed Didymus! You tried to kill me! I've had enough of you. Go away! Go away NOW!"

Limstella's death howl echoed throughout the room as the shadows swallowed her. Where she once stood, there was nothing. No mark, no tiny inkling that showed that the Fae Witch had vanished at that very spot was there. But then, the voice that spoke in the Hall of Remorse filled the air.

_**"So passes Limstella, the Fae Witch, by means of the Death Sprites of the Shadow Temple."**_

Nobody spoke. Nobody needed to speak. They all knew what the voice had meant. Limstella was dead. It was over.

As Sarah stared at the spot where Limstella vanished, she saw something dark out of the corner of her eye. She turned around quickly to see what it was. One of the shadows that had dragged Limstella down was creeping slowly toward the fallen form of Sir Didymus. Sarah gasped.

"No!" she cried. "St-stay away from him!"

She didn't want the shadow to take Sir Didymus as it had taken Limstella. She didn't want to see her dear friend dragged down into whatever abyss that now served as Limstella's grave. But the shadow did not wrap itself around Didymus as its fellows had Limstella. The shadow backed away from Didymus and disappeared. As it did, the little knight let out a small moan.

"Didymus?" gasped Sarah, hardly daring to believe.

To everyone's disbelief, Sir Didymus sprang to his feet, but fell over almost at once. "Nev-never fear," he mumbled groggily. "I-I seem to h-have shut my eyes for a few moments. Did . . . did I miss anything?"

"BRUDDA!"

Ludo stomped over to Didymus and lifted him up into the air. "Brudda back! Ludo happy!"

"Didymus!" cried Sarah, hurrying over to them. "Oh, Didymus! We thought we lost you!"

"Lost me?" said Didymus, apparently taken aback by everybody's reaction to his waking up. "Certainly not, my lady. It will take more than a bump on the head to rid the world of Sir Didymus, yes it will."

Just then, they heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground. Sarah spun around. Jareth had fallen to his knees, his eyes closed.

"Jareth!"

Sarah ran over to him and knelt beside him. She listened intently as he breathed, but his breathing was slow and deep, the way people should breathe.

"Are you alright?" she asked, carefully.

"Yes," Jareth replied. "Forgive me. I'm just . . . a bit weak. As you already know, the last three years have been . . . hard on me."

Sarah laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, reminding him she was there. She looked around to find Ena. She was sitting beside Didymus, using her yarrow plants to heal any injuries he'd gotten from his duel with Limstella. Sarah was about to get up and bring her over to Jareth to see if she had anything to help him, but Jareth's hand closed on her wrist.

"Wait."

It wasn't a command, it was a request. Sarah turned back to Jareth and met his mismatched gaze. Never in all her life had anyone looked at her the way he looked at her now. It was a look of pure affection, of absolute love. He let go of her wrist and instead reached up to cup her face in his hands.

"Thank you. Thank you for saving me. Thank you."

Sarah's heart suddenly seemed too large for her chest. At the sound of her own words coming from his mouth, her eyes overflowed with tears. She put her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Hugging him close, confirming the fact that he was, indeed, here with her now, she gave him the only reply she could give him. The only one he needed.

"You're welcome," she sobbed.

Jareth let out a long, slow breath. Sarah could almost feel the happiness coming from him. She pulled away from him just enough so that he could lean down and capture her lips with his.

They both knew, as they shared their long overdue kiss, that as he had said 'thank you' and as she had replied 'you're welcome' that what they were actually saying to each other was 'I love you' and 'I love you too'.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"And so he says to me, he says, 'You'll give her that, Hoggle, or I'll tip you straight into the Bog of Eternal Stench before you can blink.'"

Ena laughed. "He's changed so much in appearance, but seems to have changed very little, if at all, in personality since leaving the Silver Tower. So, you gave Lady Sarah this peach, did you?"

"If you've ever smelled the Bog of Stench, you would too," said Hoggle, grumpily. "No matter how many years go by two things will always be the same. I'm a coward and Jareth scares me."

"Poppycock, Sir Hoggle," said Sir Didymus. "You are quite valiant, my good sir. You were a rock in a sea of chaos when that witch had us chained up. It was, indeed, your idea to dig up that tree and carry it with us."

"Just because I'm a coward doesn't mean I can't think up a good plan," said Hoggle.

Hoggle and Ena were riding in the driver's seat of Limstella's yellow caravan as it rolled through the marshes. Didymus, who's head was wrapped in bandages, was riding Ambrosius next to them while Ludo, who's cut hand was also bandaged, walked on the other side. Since Ena's wagon was destroyed and her mule was gone and they'd left the Shadow Temple and found Limstella's caravan abandoned right in front of it, they decided that it would be an awful waste not to use it for the journey back to the labyrinth.

Jareth, though no longer ill, was still quite weak from three years of battling the illness and having almost died. Ludo, Sarah, and Ena had had to help him out of the Temple, which had surprisingly let him go without a fight. They had him settled in the back of the caravan, lying down on the small bed that was inside and Sarah was with him, making sure he was alright.

"So, in all matters, the quest was a complete success," said Didymus, proudly. "We battled through dangers and faced evil adversaries and found ourselves above it all."

"Sawah win again," said Ludo, proudly.

"Of course she did," said Hoggle, grinning. "Once she's got her mind set on something, there ain't nothing that's gonna stop her."

"Indeed," said Ena, fondly. "She and Jareth seem to have made their amends, haven't they?"

"Bah," said Hoggle, grumpily. "I think you'd need a crowbar to separate them now."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah was still a bit surprised at how she got into the position she was currently in. Jareth had been dosing in and out on the bed in Limstella's caravan once the journey had started. After a while he awoke and asked Sarah if she could hold onto him for awhile, so that he could feel that she was still there with him. Unable to deny him, she'd grasped his hand in both of hers. As he drifted off again, it had frightened Sarah to see him lying there unmoving. It reminded her too much of that horrible half hour or so that she thought he was dead. In spite of herself, she'd laid down her head on his chest so that she could hear his heart beating steadily and reassuringly in there. Before long, Sarah had climbed onto the bed with him altogether.

Sarah examined their position. It was, to be honest, completely innocent. He was on his back and she was on her side. One of his hands was stroking her hair and the other was holding tightly onto hers. His chin was resting on top of her head, which was nestled against his shoulder. True, his black shirt was open quite a bit, revealing a healthy amount of bear chest and that strange amulet he always wore, but other than that, there really was nothing inappropriate about the picture. She smiled as she felt his fingers play with her hair lovingly. She couldn't help but feel how right it all felt. How fitting it was to be beside him.

Jareth moved his head slightly and planted a small kiss in her hair. Sarah sighed contently. She wanted nothing more than to stay like this for the rest of the trip, but there were things that needed to be discussed and she would have to do it eventually. Thankfully, it was Jareth that broke the peaceful silence that had come between them.

"Sarah," he said, quietly. "There is something I don't understand. How did you know about the Shadow Temple? How did you know where to find me?"

Sarah reluctantly took her head away from its comfortable position on his shoulder and looked down at him. "Rin told me where to go," she said. "She sensed your magic and told me where to go. That's when we met up with Ena, and she told us about the Shadow Temple and took us the rest of the way."

Jareth smiled. "Precious little Rin," he said, lightly. "I knew she wouldn't keep her word about not interfering with your dreams anymore."

"She was the one giving me those dreams?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," said Jareth. "Rin has the power to manipulate the dreams of those that live in the labyrinth. I was astounded that she managed to manipulate yours as well. You were in the Aboveground, but she still seemed able to reach you since you'd been in the labyrinth before. I had asked her to leave you alone after I left though."

"I came back because I wanted to come back," Sarah said. "She didn't force me to do anything. She's a really sweet little thing, isn't she?"

Jareth smiled. "She is indeed. I was a bit frightened when I realized that I'd given the labyrinth its very own soul. Walls and corridors, full of magic though they may be, aren't supposed to have their own souls. But she seemed very docile and I didn't feel any desire to be rid of her."

"I'm glad you didn't get rid of her," said Sarah. "I'm so glad I met her. And she wouldn't have found you if she hadn't messed with my dreams."

"As a matter of interest, what did she show you?"

"Well, at first it was glimpses of the past," Sarah explained. "When we first met in my parent's bedroom, when you met up with me and Hoggle, but then she showed me things that were happening in the present. She showed me you when you were sick. And then I met her, face to face."

Jareth played absentmindedly with a strand of Sarah's long hair as she spoke. He twirled it around his fingers and stroked it with his thumb, savoring the silky texture of it.

"Jareth," said Sarah, suddenly, disrupting his playing. "There's something that I've been wondering about. Toby, my brother, he's been drawing these pictures of you and the goblins. Does that mean anything?"

Jareth's brow furrowed as he thought. "It's probably just the remains of his time in the castle still clinging subconsciously in his memory," he said slowly. "I can assure you that it was not my doing. No, he probably remembers that time in the labyrinth as mild visions, nothing more. As he grows older, the memories will fade into nothingness. He will not remember for much longer."

"And back there in the Temple," Sarah went on. "I called you so many times, but you didn't wake up. I thought you were . . . I thought I'd lost you."

Jareth closed his eyes for a moment, and then he reached up and pulled her back down to him, laying her head on top of his chest. "You nearly did," said Jareth, quietly. "If you had been any later, you would have lost me. I knew it was ending and I couldn't stop it. It was like I was falling into the deepest sleep I'd ever had, a sleep I'd never wake from. The darkness . . . was swallowing me and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't help myself in any way. But then I heard you. It was faint, but I could still make out your voice. I head your beautiful voice saying all of those glorious things. You were calling me by my name, telling me you loved me, and it gave me strength. I rose above the darkness and it was letting me go. My heart healed over and it was like I was born all over again. I felt my consciousness return, but it must have been too slow. When I opened my eyes, I was alone again. But the door to my room was ajar and I heard voices. I could make out your voice and Limstella's. I was afraid. I'd lost you once and I wasn't going to let Limstella take you away from me again. I was still weak, but I forced myself to go to you. I couldn't lose you again. Not like that. I couldn't."

Sarah felt more tears leak from her eyes. Whipping them away, she lifted her head up and they kissed yet again. His mouth on hers was sheer perfection; it was as if they were made to go together.

"Sarah," Jareth whispered, breaking away very reluctantly. "Stay with me. Don't ever leave my side again. Stay here with me. Come back to the labyrinth where we can be together forever."

"Can we do that?" Sarah asked, looking down at him. "I mean, you're immortal and I'm not."

"Of course we can," said Jareth. "Fae and mortals used to mate all the time, back before the Age of Lovely Blood. But there is, I'm afraid, a sacrifice involved."

Sarah blinked.

"If we choose to be together," said Jareth. "One of us must forfeit our worlds for the sake of our love. Either the mortal can leave the Aboveground and share the immortality of the Fae, or the Fae can leave the Underground, sacrificing our abilities to live forever and live a mortal existence. Either way, our love will never fade. Now that you know I love you and you love me in return, nothing can come between us. Not even death."

"Share immortality?" Sarah inquired.

"Yes," replied Jareth. "As long as I am alive, you are alive. If one of us dies, the other dies alongside them. It is a risky existence, but one I am willing to live with if it means spending eternity with you."

Sarah smiled down at him, her eyes tearing again. She laid her head back down on his head, her mind made up long ago. "Oh, Jareth. I would love nothing more than to live with you here, in the Underground, in the labyrinth, forever."

Jareth's arms tightened around her and he kissed the top of her head again, ecstatic over her answer. Sarah let out a small sigh, her next few words coming from her against her will.

"But . . . not quite yet."

Sarah closed her eyes and kept her head nestled on his chest, listening closely to his heartbeat, making sure her words didn't hurt him anymore. "There are some things I need to do in the Aboveground. Things I was afraid of doing before, but now I'm not so afraid. It . . . it may take a few years but if . . . if you'd be willing to wait . . . for me . . ."

Sarah braved a glance at his face again and saw, to her relief, that his eyes were soft and understanding. He sat up and stroked her face, lovingly.

"Sarah, I've waited for you longer than you can imagine. What hardship would a few more years be?" he said, gently.

Sarah let out a laugh of relief as she kissed him again and again. As they did so, Jareth raised his hands to his neck and took hold of the pendent he wore. Without breaking their kiss, he took it off his neck and placed it over Sarah's head. She broke away and looked down at it.

"I've had this for as long as I can remember," he told her. "I had it when Limstella found me. I can't be sure of where it came from, but it has always been my favorite possession. I want you to wear it now."

"I couldn't . . .!" Sarah gasped, looking at the pendent with awe.

"It is mine to give to you," said Jareth, calmly. "I want you to have it so that, during whatever time you spend it the Aboveground, I will still be with you."

Sarah held the amulet in her hand. It was heavy and made of a strange metal that she couldn't identify. It was shaped like a curved horseshoe with an amber-colored jewel set at the top. It was just like Jareth in a way. Unique, strange, and completely beautiful.

"I take this with a promise," said Sarah. "That I will come back here. I will return and be with you, once I've finished everything I must do in the Aboveground."

They sealed their promise with one final kiss. They laid back down and Sarah, suddenly exhausted, felt herself starting to fall asleep on his chest.

"Jareth," she murmured sleepily.

"Yes, love?"

"Does this mean I won't be able to dream about you anymore?"

Jareth laughed softly and stroked her back as she fell asleep on him. "You have no need to worry about that," he said, raising his hand and conjuring up a crystal. "From now on, my love, we will only have pleasant dreams. Dreams of one another."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_Sarah was suddenly standing in the midst of a familiar room. All white and elegant with jewels hanging from the walls and a beautiful golden chandelier filling the room with light. She was surrounded by people, all in beautiful gowns and strange, disfigured masks. The parodies of the goblins. Sarah herself was dressed in magnificent ivory gown. It was very similar to the one she had worn before, only less puffy and frilly. Elegant white silk and lacey sleeves and a long full skirt that swayed with her every step. She looked around her at the dancing couples. She wasn't afraid or uncomfortable as she had been last time she was here. She felt far more relaxed as she made her way through them, looking for the one she knew was there._

_Then, out of nowhere, there he was. Dressed elegantly in a shimmering blue suit, his entire being radiating some unknown power and beauty, Jareth stared down at her with soft eyes and a gentle smile. She smiled right back up at him. He didn't disappear as he had before, but headed right for her to finish the dance they started long ago._

_**We are the lucky ones**_

_**We shine like a thousand suns**_

_**When all of the color runs together.**_

_He placed one hand upon her waist and she raised hers to rest on his shoulder. Their free hands clasped together as he guided her to a spot clear of the other dancers and they began to sway together to the haunting music that filled the air._

_**I'll keep you company**_

_**In one glorious harmony**_

_**Waltzing with destiny forever.**_

_They moved perfectly together, their eyes fixed upon each other. His smile warming her heart, filling her up with happiness. This was right. This was where she was always meant to be. Here with him. In this beautiful place. Forever._

_**Dance me into the night**_

_**Underneath the full moon shining so bright**_

_**Turning me into the light**_

_As they swayed, Sarah looked at the dancers around them. They were not closing in on her, as they were before, staring harshly at her. Now, they seemed to respect her as she danced with her beloved. As they spun, the others began to drift farther and farther away, their laughter dying, leaving them alone with one another._

_**Time dancers whirling past**_

_**I gaze through the looking glass**_

_**And feel just beyond my grasp is heaven.**_

_They danced in blissful abandon. He leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek against hers as he sang softly. "There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel, open and close within your eyes, I'll place the sky, within your eyes." The words of his song, their song, filled her with peace as they began to dance faster together in blissful abandon._

_**Sacred geometry**_

_**Where movement is poetry**_

_**Visions of you and me forever.**_

_Her dress twirled elegantly as he spun her around. Her skin prickled as he dipped her. The room seemed to be dissolving around them. They were no longer dancing in the night sky itself, their feet spinning on darkness and stars. "I'll lay my love, between the stars," he sang softly as she realized where she was. "As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you, every thrill is gone, wasn't too much fun at all, but I'll be there for you, as the world falls down."_

_**Dance me into the night**_

_**Underneath the full moon shining so bright**_

_**Turning me into the light**_

_Sarah never wanted it to end. She wanted to go on dancing with him forever, as they were meant to. She could tell he felt the same as she looked into his eyes. He wanted to stay this way for as long as he could, fearing for the moment when they would, eventually, have to stop._

_**Dance me into the night**_

_**Underneath the full moon shining so bright**_

_She placed her head upon his shoulder and he placed his own head upon hers, wanting to be as close as they possibly could before the inevitable end came and separated them again. But they would be brave about it. When they parted, they would not pine for the other._

_**Let the dark waltz begin**_

_**Oh let me wheel – let me spin**_

_**Let it take me again**_

_Their hands unclasped and they held each other close. From the eyes of a bystander, there would never have been a grander sight. They were the perfect sight. A celestial bride and groom. The very portrait of love._

_**Turning me into the light.**_

_With sadness and the promise to see the other again, they let go and stepped back for a last glimpse at the face of the one they loved before the beauty faded into darkness._

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah opened her eyes. She was laying down on the couch in the living room of her house. She sat up and looked around. It was very dark in the room but there could be no mistaking where she was. She looked out of the window and saw that it was very dark outside and the street lights had already come on.

"He sent me back," she realized. "I'm back. I'm in the Aboveground again."

Suddenly, Sarah saw a pair of headlights pass by the window. She stayed where she was on the couch, reaching up towards her neck. It was with sheer joy that she felt his pendent still there, confirming everything had been real. She would finish her business and then return to him.

The sounds of keys and the opening of the front door reached Sarah's ears. Then, Irene's voice filled the hall.

". . . is getting very frightening, Robert. I think we should call the police."

Sarah hurriedly tucked the pendent into her blouse and went into the hall to greet her family.

"Daddy? Irene? Toby?"

"SARAH!"

Sarah's father, stepmother, and brother all cried out at the sight of her. They were all wearing coats and looked extremely relieved to see her.

"Oh, Sarah," said Robert, sounding exhausted with relief. "There you are! We've been looking for you all over town. Where have you been? When you didn't come home, we called the school and they said you didn't show up for play practice."

"Really?" said Sarah bemused. "I've been gone for hours?"

"Yes, hours," scolded Irene. "Sarah, I can't believe this of you. You just vanish for a few hours and expect us to . . ."

"Mommy, I'm tired," whined Toby. "I wanna go to bed now."

_I was in the Underground for days,_ Sarah thought. _He must have reordered time again. For them, I was only gone a few hours._

Sarah spent the next twenty minutes or so telling her family some story about deciding to skip play practice to do some studying at the library, forgetting the time, then coming home after they'd left and taken a nap on the couch. She then spent the next forty minutes listening to Irene rant and rave about how unsafe it is for her to be wandering around town alone and not telling them where she was going. It was only when Toby was practically screaming about how sleepy he was that Irene decided to drop it and let them both go upstairs to bed, swearing to Sarah that they would pick this up again in the morning.

When Sarah finally got some peace in her room, she suddenly heard something behind her.

_"Bye, bye, Sawah."_

"Bye, Ludo," she said, softly. "Don't be sad. I won't be gone long."

_"Fare thee well, fair maiden. And remember . . . should you need us . . ."_

_"Yes, should you need us, for any reason . . ."_

"Yes, Hoggle, Didymus, I'll call for you if I ever need you again."

_"You'll be back soon, right Sarah?"_

"Of course, Rin. Before you know it."

_"We shall wait for you, Lady Sarah. For however long it takes."_

"Thank you, Ena. I'll be back, just wait for me."

_"For all eternity, if I must. And remember, Sarah. Remember that I love you. Always."_

Sarah smiled and clutched the pendent in both hands.

"I love you too, Jareth. I'll see you soon, as soon as I finish things here. I promise."

**Lyrics from "Dark Waltz" by Hayley Westenra. Selected lyrics from "As the World Falls Down" by David Bowie.**

**Ying-Fa: Wow. That took awhile. The next chapter is it, people. It's all over after this. A fan fiction writer once said (I can't remember who, so if you are reading this you know who you are and I give you credit) that a Labyrinth fic is not complete without a ball, gala, or celebration of some kind. I agree 100 percent, so I added the dream sequence. You can't have Jareth and Sarah dancing and not have "As the World Falls Down" mentioned in some way, but the scene would not have been possible without the assistance of Hayley Westenra's song, which I listened to on endless repeat as I wrote that scene, so I added them too. Tell me what you think. As Jareth once said himself "Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave."**


	20. Home

**Ying-Fa: I hate it when things are left unsaid! This is where everything is tied up. Everything that happens to everyone is mentioned here. This is it, people. I hope you enjoy this final chapter and leave me long, fat, healthy reviews. I love you all!**

Three years later . . .

Sarah Williams took a long, sweeping look around her room, to make sure there wasn't anything she'd forgotten. _It's only when you move out do you realize who much junk you have,_ she thought dully.

Indeed her room was stripped almost bare. Her clothes were packed into two suitcases and a third, smaller case had personal effects that she would be taking with her. Sarah looked down in the small, cardboard box that she was holding. It was a tiny, memory chest that she where she kept newspaper articles and other things of that nature. She picked up one article and read it.

**Hampton High School Drama Club Scores Big With Original Script.**

_The Hampton High School Drama Club took its biggest risk in many years of performing an original script for the school's annual spring play. The production of _**The Labyrinth**_, an original piece by an unknown author, has never been done before by any school and it turned out to be a complete success._

_"I came upon the story only recently," said Rodger Beckham, president of the Drama Club. "I saw it as the perfect opportunity to show spontaneity and originality for the last performance of my high school career and so I gambled my options and wrote the script. I am proud to say that we all did admirably."_

**The Labyrinth**_ is a tale of a princess (portrayed by Sarah Williams, a senior) who travels into a magical world to retrieve her stolen baby brother from the vicious Goblin King (portrayed by Michael Hayward-Jones, a senior). It also includes a cast of various creatures including dwarves and monsters and, of course Goblins. Sarah Williams, who had the starring role, was unavailable for comment but Hayward-Jones said that the play "was very fun and I am grateful to be a part of it."_

Sarah smiled. The remembered the play perfectly. It had, as the article had said, a total success, just as Rodger had hoped it would. After returning back from the labyrinth, however, some very strange and unexpected things had occurred. For instance, Rodger had shown up to play practice one day and said that he was going to undo all of the changes he'd made to the script and everything was going to be done exactly according to the book. Sarah couldn't help but notice he looked a little pale and bleary eyed as he made this announcement, as if he had had a particularly bad night sleep the night before.

Another thing was that, during the final performance, there had been some very strange things going on. There seemed to be very active shadows all over the stage and, once or twice, Sarah could have sworn she'd heard some strange giggling in the darkness. There had also been two very peculiar people in the audience. A man with sleek blonde hair and strange, mismatched eyes and a young woman with dark skin and hair that was such a pale shade of red that it looked pink. They were dressed normally enough, in a crisp black suit and a simple blue dress, but they seemed to attracted a lot of strange looks from passersby and at one point Sarah's brother had even pointed to the gentleman and shouted at the top of his voice, "MAN!?" for which Irene apologized most grievously to the gentleman, who had laughed and said it was no big deal. Sarah remembered performing her best on that particular night.

She also remembered during the ballroom scene, as she danced with the "Goblin King" she had the strangest feeling that the masked actor she was dancing with wasn't Mike, but a certain someone else. She chanced a glance at the audience at this point and noticed that "man" wasn't there and her suspicions were confirmed.

"Where's Mike?" she'd asked, as quietly as she could.

"Daydreaming," came the answer. "He'll come back around in time for the next scene, I promise. But you didn't honestly think I'd allow anyone else to dance with you during this particular scene, now did you?"

When the scene ended, Mike did indeed come around in time for his next scene, but seemed a bit dazed as to how he had been on stage when he distinctly remembered not being on stage. Sarah didn't have the heart to tell him anything.

Sarah dug deeper into the box. Not far from the article she found a wedding invitation. She smiled fondly at the memory of Mike giving this to her. It was an invitation to the wedding of Mindy Hayward and Christopher Jones, Mike's parents.

"My grandparents finally let mum come to America," said Mike, sounding flushed and excited. "She's here now and she and dad are finally getting married!"

"Mike, that's the best," said Sarah, truly happy for him. "I guess this means that your life is finally complete."

"Yeah, I guess it is," Mike had replied, with a smile that was almost too big for his face.

Further inside the box, Sarah found a multitude of other things. A picture of the whole cast of the play, smiling and waving, in full costume, a letter of farewell that Mrs. L'Oreal had given her when she graduated, and a note from Dirk.

Sarah read the note over again, her smile no longer as noticeable. Apparently, Dirk didn't have the vaguest memory of what happened at the party and didn't have the faintest clue as to what he had tried to do. But he seemed to remember something because, in this note, he apologized for whatever it was he had done, hoped that he hadn't done anything to hurt her, and told her that he would no longer bother her. He'd kept to his word very well and even got together with another girl, Aster, who was just as weird as he was. From what Sarah had learned, he had gone to college to learn computer science.

Mike and his newly married parents were still living in America. Mike had gone off to college to study graphic design and was living comfortably and happily with his completed family. Shawna Templeton was already engaged to be married, and Rodger had gone off to film school to fulfill his dreams of being a director. As for Sarah, she had everything set for her future.

She looked up from her memory box and looked up at the painting on the wall. It featured a fast labyrinth, with endless turns and corners, and a castle in the center that was further than you think. Painted in the blue sky above the labyrinth was a large white owl and on its wings were several faces. Sarah had painted her own face, Ludo's and Sir Didymus's faces on the right wing, and on the left were the faces of Hoggle and Jareth. Stuck to the glass on the frame that the picture was in was a blue ribbon with gold lettering across the face saying the words:

**The Labyrinth**** by Sarah Williams, Winner of the Garrison Award.**

Sarah sighed contentedly at the picture. It was thanks to this painting that everything was set. Everything was ready now. She put the lid back on her box and fitted it into the third suitcase. Then turned around to grab all three cases, but noticed that one of the bags was missing. Sarah let out a little laugh. She knew the culprit behind this. She walked out of her room and down the hall into another room.

"Oh, Toby! I'm gonna need that bag, you know."

Toby Williams, now six years old, clutched grumpily to Sarah's bag. "I don't want you to go away," he said, stubbornly. "You're gonna go far, far away and I won't get to see you anymore."

Sarah sighed. They'd been having this same conversation for over two months. "That's true, Toby, I'm going away. But this is good for me, Toby, it's what I wanna do."

Toby clutched the bag tighter and tears welled up in his eyes. "I'll miss you too much," he whined.

"I'll miss you too, Toby," said Sarah, coming over to her brother and stroking his hair. "I'm gonna miss you so much I can hardly stand the thought."

"Then STAY!" Toby wailed, hugging her around the middle.

"I can't," said Sarah. "I'm gonna go and I can't stop that. I know you don't like it, Toby, but this is my choice. I'm going because I wanna go."

"I'll never see you again," sobbed Toby.

"Now, don't say that," said Sarah, sharply. "Of course I'll see you again. One way or another, I'll see you again. You know I will."

"Nuh-uh," moaned Toby, hugging her tighter and soaking her shirt with his tears.

Sarah hugged him back, thinking. Toby hadn't taken well to the fact of her leaving home. After her painting had won the scholarship to Paris, she'd told her family that she was going to take it and leave to go to the foreign art school. Robert had been bursting with pride, Irene had seemed truly happy for her, but Toby had thrown a fit when he discovered that Paris wasn't anywhere in there hometown, or even in the United States. As far as he could see it, Sarah was about to vanish from off the face of the earth.

Sarah reached into the bag that Toby had stolen and started rummaging through it. "Now, stop that, Toby," said Sarah. "Here, this is for you to hold on to."

Toby pried himself away from Sarah to look at what he was being given. It was an old ring that Sarah used to wear that had come in handy to her at one time, long ago. "This is a special ring, Toby," she said. "As long as you keep it with you, we'll be closer together than you think."

"R-really?" said Toby, taking the old ring.

"I'm positive," said Sarah, stroking his hair. "If you hold onto it, we will see each other again. I promise."

Toby sniffed and didn't look entirely reassured. Nevertheless, he took the ring and put it into his pocket. "Okay, Sarah. I'll take really good care of it."

"Thank you, Toby," said Sarah. At that moment, the siblings heard Robert's voice echo up the stairs.

"Sarah! Have you got everything? The cab is here!"

"I'm coming," said Sarah, anticipation rising in her chest. "Come on, Toby. Help me with my bags."

He did so, very reluctantly. They carried all of Sarah's things down the stairs where a taxi cab was waiting out the front door to take Sarah to the airport.

"Well, here we are," said Robert, looking at his only daughter with misty eyes. "Paris, here she comes!"

"Yeah, I guess," said Sarah, getting misty herself. She wrapped her arms around her father and hugged him tightly. Despite everything, when it all came together, Robert had done a great job at being a father. He had kept her alive, healthy, mostly happy, and had stuck with her during the divorce. Sarah would miss his big arms wrapped around her like this, in a big bear hug that always made you both pleased and a little embarrassed.

"Now," said Robert, with a little sniff. "Don't you hesitate to ask for anything. You need something, let me know right away. Even if I have to fly up to Paris myself, I'll get to you, okay?"

"Thank you, Daddy," said Sarah, hugging him even tighter. "Thank you so much for everything. I'm . . . going to miss you so much I don't think I can stand it."

"Aw," said Robert, breaking away and whipping his eyes. "You're a tough girl, Sarah. I think you can m-manage without crooked old me."

"I'll try," said Sarah, blinking back tears. She then bent down and embraced Toby again. Her little brother burst into outright tears in her arms.

"Sarah!" he wailed. "Don't go! Don't go, please! I'll be good!"

"I k-know you will," Sarah said, her voice breaking. "You be good for Daddy and Irene, okay? You get good grades in school, don't get into fights, and make lots of friends, okay?"

"K-'Kay," sniffed Toby.

"Did I hear a 'promise'?"

"Promise," mumbled Toby.

Sarah broke away from Toby, gave him one last kiss on the forehead and stood up to face her stepmother. Both women where smiling awkwardly and didn't really seem to know what to do. Finally, Sarah closed the distance between them and gave her stepmother what might have been the first and last embrace they'd ever share. It was a bit strange for the both of them. Sarah marveled at how thin and frail Irene felt in her arms. Irene rubbed Sarah's back and patted it as they hugged. It was . . . nice despite the awkwardness. They broke away and smiled at each other.

"Well, you take extra good care of yourself, alright?" said Irene, smiling.

"Yeah," said Sarah. "Of course I will."

Sarah grabbed her bags and headed out for the taxi. The driver helped her put her bags in the trunk before she climbed in the back seat. She rolled down the window and looked out at her family. Robert, Irene, and Toby all stood there watching her.

"Bye!" Sarah called, waving energetically while holding back more tears. "Goodbye everyone!"

They waved back, Robert and Irene smiling, Toby bawling. Sarah turned to the driver, who had just started the car. "Airport, please," she said.

"Coming right up," said the driver, putting the car in gear.

Sarah hung out of the window and waved as her house and her family shrank into the distance. Toby had broken away from his parents and ran after the cab, waving and crying until the cab picked up too much speed and he fell back, still waving. Sarah watched and watched until Toby was nothing but a little speck in the back window and then he disappeared completely.

Sarah sat back down in her seat and dried her eyes. _That was so hard to do,_ she thought. _But it's okay. I belong somewhere else. I chose this. So it's okay._

The cab drove out of the town and onto the freeway. Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter she'd gotten just last month. She read it over with a smile.

_Dear Sarah,_

_Paris!? Wow! Honey, I am so thrilled! I'm glad that you're looking forward to a career in art. With this kind of education, you'll really go someplace I know it. I've met up with some art students and they are the nicest people. If you need connections, give me a shout and I'll hook you up. _

_Jeremy and I are super proud of you, Sar. I think my travel agent could get me a flight to Paris, so don't be too surprised if I show up on your doormat. We're fine, by the way. I just got a part in Les Miserables, if you can believe it! So, if you need help learning any French, again let me know. I got lots of love for you, you know!_

_Linda._

Sarah smiled. Her mother hadn't changed one bit. She'd reacted to Sarah's leaving the country just as she thought she would. Happy and excited for her. Sarah appreciated her mother's offers for help, but knew secretly that they were pretty empty. Her mother often offered her help, but never seemed to "have time" to give it. Regardless, she'd miss her mother too. But it was time at last and she was ready.

The cab brought her to the airport, just as he had been instructed and Sarah paid him the money for the trip.

"You take care of yourself," said the driver, touching his hat to her.

"Thanks," said Sarah, kindly. "You have a good one."

"You too."

Sarah watched the man drive away. She took her bags, but didn't go inside the airport. Instead she walked down the sidewalk, away from the buildings, where she couldn't be seen by anyone else. Once she was quite sure she couldn't be seen by another human being, she reached into the collar of her shirt. From inside she pulled out a strange, gold amulet that she hadn't removed from around her neck for three years. She held onto it tightly.

"Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be," she said softly to herself. "Take me from this world and lead me back to thee."

She looked around. Nothing happened. But at that moment, a voice laughed inside her head.

_Oh, come now, Sarah. You know those aren't the words. You'll have to say your right words._

Sarah laughed and shut her eyes. "Everything is ready," she said, aloud. "I've finished everything I need to in this world. I've made peace with the Aboveground and now it is time I came back. So, I wish the Goblin King would take me away . . . right now."

Then, from behind her, the voice spoke again from right behind her.

"Well, it is about time."

Sarah opened her eyes, spun around and threw herself into the arms of her Goblin King.

_**No one can blame you**_

_**For walking away**_

Jareth laughed out loud as he and Sarah embraced, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around and around in ecstasy. Sarah was laughing too, laughing and crying in happiness at the same time as she lowered her face to his in a kiss that was unrivaled to any other in happiness and passion.

_**For too much rejection**_

_**No love injection**_

They stopped spinning but continued to hug and kiss one another in joy. Around them, Sarah could feel the world starting to change around her. She knew what was happening. They were leaving the Aboveground behind. She was going back.

_**Life can be easy**_

_**It's not always swell**_

Sarah could hear high-pitched laughter and sounds of celebration. The goblins and creatures of the Underground had all gathered together to greet their king and his new bride as they arrived back. Sarah broke away from Jareth for a second and looked into his eyes. He smiled lovingly down at her, then relaxed his hold on her so that she could say hello to her friends.

_**Don't tell me truth hurts**_

_**Little girl**_

_**'Cause it hurts like hell**_

Hoggle was the first to greet Sarah. She knelt down and he hugged her in welcome. Sarah laughed in happiness and released the dwarf only to embrace Ludo, who wrapped his arms around her in a huge bear hug, growling "Sawah! Sawah back!" as loud as he could. She then bent down and hugged Sir Didymus and scratched Ambrosius's ears, thinking only of how pleased she was to see them all again.

_**It's only forever**_

_**Not long at all**_

_**The lost and the lonely**_

Sarah was then greeted by Ena and the Wise Man, then the worm and his family, the by Alph and Ralph, and all other creatures she'd met and known. She stood up and looked past her welcoming party and stared around her. There it was. The labyrinth was flooded with light, flowers blossoming all around the walls, shining with magic. Rin was celebrating Sarah's return as well.

_**That's underground**_

_**Underground**_

Jareth smiled down at his beloved as she turned to look back at him, all the happiness in the world was reflected in her eyes at the sight of him and his world. The world to which she truly belonged.

"I'm home," she said, smiling.

Jareth laughed and smiled right back. "Welcome home."

* * *

**Lyrics from "Underground" by David Bowie.**

**Ying-Fa: That's IT! All done, people! Now, I've been asked to do a sequel. Will I? . . . Not likely. I don't want to say I NEVER would but don't hold your breath waiting for one, because I probably won't. Nevertheless, I truly love and appreciate everyone who read and reviewed this story.**

**I feel so grateful! Thank You:**

**Ying and Yang twins, Kore-of-Myth, OceanFae, notwritten(have a nice day! Mormon's rule!), FaerieatHeart13, Pesche, Atemu's Lotus, Ginabella 59, AnimeAmba, DejectedBlithe, moon mistro, hazlgrnLizzy, Khata, Aysuh, StakeMeSpike04, CoffeeKris, sylphxpression, Ginny-cry, Lenne Silverburg, Astrophysics Rock, futrCSI1490, shadowxwolf, arisenkey, JoytoDemFishies101, fullofgrace, NavyBlueDreamsandKhakithoughts, Norehnka, thetankgirl, Anna McNarin, Erycina, Jack Hawksmoor, daegana616, Princess of the Fae, HolidayOpen, syrennia, sora-anime-otaku, Maantje, Shadow of Darkness 22, IAMSOAP, Born of Sinner's Blood, Flame Dancer 077, Larry1710, FireShifter, Piper of Locksley, bra4goten, kawatta, LabyLvrPhx, theshepardslamb, purpleumbrella, Niwatori Vori, Ramis Hunroll, Jareth's Genevieve, Margravine Green, ghost dolly, BowieGirl108, hopeless.romantic.3739, Sylla, Rinaya Faeleth, Fiera Sabre, pheonixfire979, HMWayre, and everyone who added this story to their and me onto their Favorites and Alert lists. This has been Ying-Fa-dono, signing off! Goodnight and good luck!**


End file.
